Femme Fatale
by Hiding in the Shadow
Summary: After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.
1. Boston

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

-Boston, Massachusetts-

16-year-old Kristine Drake, better known as Kris, stared out the window of the yellow school bus she was ridding. Her parents, William and Madeline, had promised that she would get a car as soon as she got her license, but that had yet to happen and she had had her license for 2 and a half months. Her twin brother, Ronny, had failed his driver's test and he already had a car in the garage waiting for him. How unfair was that?

The monotonous suburban landscape of the monotonous Boston suburb that she lived in bored her to tears as she continued staring out the window. Her older brother, Bobby, had all the luck. He was in New York at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Whatever it took to become gifted, she wanted to know because New York had to be more interesting the suburban Massachusetts. How he became gifted was a question that always plagued Kris. Before Bobby was accepted to that school, he was a cynical underachiever and never did anything he was told. Then again, that was the time that Kris was the quiet, shy type that cared what everyone thought about her and even fried her scalp by bleaching her dark brown hair blonde to prove it. Now she loved the fact that her hair was so dark that it was almost black. She wasn't emo, or anything like that, but she just ceased to care about labels and other stuff that mattered in high school.

The bus stopped in front of her house and she stood, pulling the earphones from her iPod out of her head. She didn't bother to waste energy by responding to the whispers that she could hear coming from her former friends, "Bye Tony." Kris said to the bus driver.

"See you tomorrow at 7:25 sharp." Tony replied as Kris stepped off of the bus and walked around the front, waving. Tony waved back and Kris looked at her house, just thinking. She wondered if Bobby had gotten the clothes and other gifts that she, Ronny, and their parents had sent him for his 18th birthday.

On the subject of clothing, Kris suddenly remembered that her mother was going to freak when she saw her clothes, "Oh great." Kris sighed. For some reason, Madeline had a huge problem with Kris constantly wearing black, brown, and gray. But why shouldn't she? She wasn't the blonde haired, blue eyed perfect All-American looking child that her brother's were, she had dark hair and gray eyes and black, brown, and gray looked good on her. Sighing and rolling her eyes, Kris walked up the driveway and entered her home, "Mom, I'm home." She called.

"Hi honey." Madeline called back from the kitchen, "Where's Ronny?"

"How the hell would I know? I'm not his keeper." Kris mumbled to herself, not allowing her mother to hear, "I don't know. Probably still at school playing basketball or something." She said to her mother.

"Hmm." Madeline sighed, "I thought he was... Oh Christmas." She said, exiting the kitchen and seeing her daughter's outfit, "Honey, why must you wear such dark colors?"

Kris smirked and leaned against the wall, "It matches my soul." She said.

Madeline clenched her jaw, "Kristine Gretchen..."

"Mom! Joke!" Kris replied, detesting the use of her middle name. At that moment, a sharp pain ran through her head and she leaned down, squeezing her head in her hands and groaning, "Damn." She mumbled as the pain only got more profound before instantaneously subsiding.

"Kris." Madeline said, worriedly, "Are you okay?"

"Fantastic." Kris replied, running her hands through her long brown hair, "Perfectly peachy, mom. I have to go and finish my homework." Kris tried to walk away, but Madeline stopped her, "Mom, I have a huge project due next week and I have barely started."

"It was the headaches again, wasn't it Kris?" Madeline asked in concern. Kris tried to protest, "Why won't you let us take you to the hospital?"

"What are they going to tell me mother?" Kris asked angrily, "I've been poked and prodded enough for 20 lifetimes and they haven't found anything. No growths, no abnormalities, no nothing! All of the doctors that we've been to think that it's all in my head or that I'm looking for attention. How many is it now that have suggested getting a shirk to look at me?"

"Kris, it's..."

"More then half of the one's we've gone to, mom." Kris went on, "More then half think that I'm crazy... I have a project to work on." With that, Kris walked up the stairs and into her room. Truth be told, she was starting to wonder whether or not she was making up the headaches. There was no medical evidence to back up her symptoms, but they were getting unbearable. She even thought that she was starting to hear voices and, on top of that, she went through spells where her hands hurt and cramped to bad that she couldn't write. Then there was the constant locking thing that her jaw would do randomly... None of this was getting to her mother, who would worry and make her go to more hospitals.

"Kris?" Madeline's voice called up the stairs.

"Yeah, mom." Kris called back.

"Weren't you suppose to get your report cards today?" Madeline asked.

Kris slapped her palm to her forehead. Of course, how could she have forgotten. If her mom had been her dad, then he would of accused her of slipping grades and that was the last think that she wanted, "Yeah, hold on." Kris called, digging into her tote bag and pulling out her report card. All A's. Nothing that would surprise either of her parents, but it would make them happy. It wasn't that Kris was a genius, and she would never pretend to be so, she just worked her ass off and studied as much as she could. She wanted to get far away from high school and if that was the way to do it, then that would be what she did.

As Kris walked into the kitchen, she saw that her father was home, for the moment, at least, "Hello, Kristine." He said, "What's that?"

"Report card." Kris replied, handing to her parents and walking over to the closet, pulling out her black trench coat.

"Oh, this is wonderful, Kris." Madeline said, "All A's. We have a genius on our hands."

Kris laughed sourly, "Not really, mom." She said, "I'm going out."

"Where?" William asked.

"Just for a walk." Kris replied, wondering why her dad was so paranoid. He shot her a look that told her he wanted more details then that, "Dad, I just need to clear my head. I don't know where I'm going, but I shouldn't be gone that long. I'll see you guys at dinner." William and Madeline sighed, wishing that she, for once, would give them more then a vague answer.

Kris left her home with every intention on doing what she had told her parents. She pulled out her iPod, which was still safe in her pocket, and placed the earphones in her ears. After picking a song she liked, Happy? by Mudvayne, she started walking. Her feet carried her to a park near her home, where she found a bench and sat, observing passers by.

On the swing set just a few feet away, a brown haired mother in a pink shirt and black pants and a slightly graying father in a button up and jeans pushed their three brown haired children, two girls and a boy. The mother was obviously close to giving these children another sibling. Down the way, two teenagers engaged in a public make-out session, oblivious to the stares of disgust by several of the other park-goers; most of these were old ladies or old men. However, one couple caught her attention more then anybody else. The man was handsome and extremely muscular with blonde hair and an air of being authoritative without being boring or too serious about him and the woman was tall, lean, and beautiful, a look complimented by her green head of hair.

"Why not?" The woman asked.

"Because." The man said.

"That's not an answer, Alex."

"Lorna, honey, please." The man called Alex replied, "My brother and I are not on the best of terms. Trust me about that."

Lorna sighed, "Alex, I don't care if you two aren't on the best of terms, I still want to meet him." Alex tried to protest, "Alex, what about all of the people that cared about you? That you care about? Just because you and your brother..." That was all that Kris heard because at that moment, the searing pain in her head that she had felt back home came back.

The pain caused her to fall to the ground, squeezing her head. Panicked voiced bombarded her, but she saw no mouths moving when she managed to look around. Her hands felt like they were being continually pounded with a hammer. Kris' eyes teared as she writhed on the ground and the peopled around just stared at her, some not knowing what to so, some not bothering to do anything but watch.

Alex and Lorna, however, did the opposite. Taking a deep breath, Lorna pointed at the metal water fountain and flicked her hand, causing the top of the fountain to fly over and hit Kris in the head, effectively knocking her out, "Lorna!" Alex whispered.

"What?" Lorna asked, "I didn't hit her that hard." Alex couldn't help but chuckle, his girlfriend had a strange way of doing things. The two rushed over to her as Alex pulled out his phone, "What are you doing?"

"Calling my old professor." Alex replied, "He'll know what to do about her."

"That looked like a major case of on coming telepathy." Lorna said, "Holy shit." She mumbled, looking down at Kris' hands. Her fingernails were claw-like and red and strange symbols decorated her wrists. Then Lorna looked up at her face, "This is the most fucked up thing I've seen in a while." She mumbled. Kris' mouth was slightly open and her canine teeth were elongated like vampire fangs.

"Oh my God." Alex said, seemingly forgetting the phone in his hand, "Is that mutation, or did she do that herself?"

"Aren't you going to call?" Lorna asked.

"Oh... Yeah." He said, dialing the number, "But we should take her somewhere." Lorna nodded and picked the girl up.

"Jesus, she's light."

"Really?" Alex asked.

Lorna nodded as the two quickly placed themselves elsewhere. Alex silently prayed that someone would pick up, "Xavier Institute." A pleasant female voice said.

Alex smiled, "Jeanie-Beanie." He said, "How ya been?"

"Alex." Jean replied with a laugh, "What can I do for you."

"I need to speak with Professor Xavier ASAP." He replied.

"Just a sec." Jean replied.

"Thank you, thank you." Alex said as he waited.

After a couple minutes of waiting, Alex heard, "Good afternoon, Alex. What a pleasant surprise."

"That's nice to know, Professor." Alex said, "But I have a bit of situation."

"You found a mutant." Professor X said.

Alex sighed, "Yes... Of course you would already know that. What else do you know."

"Absolutely nothing." Professor X replied.

"Uh-huh." Alex replied, "Well, she... kind of looks like a vampire."

"A vampire?" Professor Xavier asked, "How do you mean?"

"There's really only one way to look like a vampire, Professor." Alex replied, "But we're not sure whether or not that's her mutation."

"We're?"

Alex sighed, "Yes, we're. Anyway, we think she might be telepathic by the way she reacted when her powers manifested."

"Then by all means, bring her here. We always have room for mutants in need." Professor X said, "And do bring your friend, the other part of your 'we'." Alex chuckled, "I'm sure Jean and Ororo would love to meet her."

Alex chuckled again, "I'm sure they would." He said, knowing how gossipy those two got sometimes, "Good-bye, Professor."

"Who would what?" Lorna asked, looking up from the small girl in her arms for the first time.

"Nothing, honey." Alex replied, "We'd better get going."

"Going... Where?" Lorna asked.

"Westchester, New York. Were going to drop her off at my old school."

Lorna looked at the girl for a minute, "Alex, she doesn't look like a runaway. I mean, she might have people worry if we take her. We don't know anything about her and..."

"And when she wakes up, Professor Xavier will call her parents if she's not a runaway." Alex replied, "Then he will offer them a place for her in the school. Professor X isn't into kidnapping, dear."

"O...Okay, honey. If you think that's a good idea."

"It is, trust me."


	2. Meetings and Greetings

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro, things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

Many, many thanks to my first reviewers Blue Phoenix 217 and icydragon14! I really appreciate you reviewing. To anyone who doesn't know, 'femme fatale' is a term used to describe a mysterious or beautiful and irresistible woman whom often leads men into compromising and dangerous situations. It originated as a French term that roughly translates into 'deadly woman'. The title comes more from Kris' appearance and her skills then her actually killing someone. You'll see what I mean later.

(-X-)

-Westchester, New York-

Professor Xavier couldn't believe that he had missed it. He had met Kris the day that he had gone to the Drake home to offer Bobby a place in the institute, but he would have never thought that she would have become a mutant. Of course, at that time, she had her hair dyed blonde and was very self-conscious with an insatiable need to fit in. Even in her unconscious state she exuded self-confidence and empowerment, "Why is she unconscious?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Um..." Lorna said, "I kind of hit her in the head."

"With what?" Professor Xavier asked, his eyebrow raised.

"The top of a water fountain in the park that we found her in." Lorna replied sheepishly, "She was freaking out and we had no idea what she would do, so I knocked her out."

"Then I figured that we should bring her here." Alex said. He didn't want to get Lorna in trouble for something that was his idea. She was already in hot water with herself for what she had done.

"I see." Professor Xavier said, "Are you telekinetic?"

Lorna shook her head, "No, I can control metal." Professor Xavier's eyes bulged. He only knew of one person with that kind of power, "I also have the ability to manipulate the Earth's magnetic field to allow me to fly... Oh, yeah, and this." She added, holding out a chunk of her bright green hair.

"I see."

At that moment, Jean and Ororo entered the room, "Jeanie! Rory!" Alex exclaimed.

The two women chuckled and walked over him, their arms outstretched and ready for hugs, "You know you're the only one that can call me that." Ororo said. Alex nodded as he hugged her.

"It's good to see you again, Alex." Jean said, getting her hug.

"It's good to see you two as well." Alex replied, "There is someone I would like you both to meet. Honey." He said, indicating to Lorna that he wanted to introduce her, "This is Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe. Jeanie, Rory, this is my girlfriend Lorna Dane."

"Really?" The two women asked.

Lorna smiled, "I've heard a lot about you both."

"Like what?" They asked.

"Don't worry. It's good stuff."

Ororo smiled, "That's good. We should hope that he hasn't been telling you horror stories about us." Alex smiled innocently, "But I bet he never told you about the time that he paid Jean 20 dollars to flirt with him." Lorna's eyes bugged and Alex slapped his palm to his forehead.

"Um... No, he didn't."

"It was an April Fools joke on his brother." Jean said.

"Your brother?" Lorna asked.

"I told you I should have had a sister-in-law a long time ago. It was a point that I was trying to get across to my brother." Alex said, "Scott never got my subtle hints because he's an idiot."

"Scott's not an idiot." Jean said in defense of her boyfriend.

"Yes he is." Alex replied. Jean opened her mouth to speak again, but out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw the young girl on the table stir, "Hey, the small one is awake." He said.

Kris sat up and held her head in her palms, "Great, now I have an even worse headache then I did before." She mumbled before looking up, "Professor Xavier?" She asked, "What... I... Where am I?"

"You are at my Institute, Kristine." Professor Xavier replied, rolling over to Kris' side.

"In Westchester?" Kris asked in shock, prompting Professor Xavier to nod, "What the hell am I doing here?" She asked.

"Language, please."

"Sorry." Kris said, "And, just Kris if you don't mind."

"Of course." Professor Xavier replied, "When I met your parents, I didn't inform them of my school's true purpose."

"Which is?" Kris asked.

"Helping mutants learn to control and develop their powers."

"Mutants?" Kris asked. Did this mean that she was a mutant? She had heard so many bad things about mutants. She didn't believe them, at least not most of them, but hearing about them and being one were two different things.

"Yes. Now please, tell me what do you remember last?"

Kris thought for a moment, "Searing pain and 20 million voices... That's about it." Professor Xavier nodded as Kris looked down at her hands, "Holy crap! What happened to my hands?" She asked as she stared at her razor sharp, claw-like nails and the new symbols on her wrists. Licking her dry lips, Kris also noticed her teeth, "Wha..." She mumbled as she brought her hands to her mouth and tapped on her newly elongated canine teeth, "I'm a freaking vampire!" She screamed.

"Well, that answers that question." Alex mumbled.

"What question?" Kris asked.

Lorna sighed, "When we found you, we were wondering whether or not you had done that yourself, or if it was part of your mutation."

"Right... Cause I'd actually do this to myself of my own..." She said, jumping down from the bed that she was sitting on, "Wait just a tick. If Bobby's here, what's his mutation?"

Professor Xavier thought for a moment, "Why don't you go and ask him yourself when we are finished." He said. Kris nodded, but stopped because her head was pounding.

"Wait, what can I do?" Kris asked. Just then, voices filled her head, causing her to lean against the bed she had just been sitting in.

Professor Xavier assisted in controlling her powers for the moment, "You are telepathic, like myself and Dr. Gray." Kris looked towards Jean, "I believe you met her when we came to speak with your brother."

"Telepathic? I guess that that would explain the voices and the headaches." Kris said, "What does telepathy have to do with the changes in my appearance?" She asked. By the looks on everyone's faces, they couldn't give her an answer, "Is that it? I don't have to worry about anything else popping up out of nowhere?"

"No one can be sure." Professor Xavier explained, "Some mutants only have one power, some have more. If they do have more, it all depends. Some of those get all of their powers at once while others gain theirs over time."

"Fabulous." Kris replied sarcastically. Professor X lead Kris, Alex, and Lorna to his office while Jean and Ororo went back to their classes. When they entered the Professor's office, Kris looked around and nodded, "Nifty. Looks like Ms. Franklyn's office, but cooler."

"Who?" Alex asked.

"My old principal. She's evil." Kris replied, "Hey, do you mind if I check the news?" Professor Xavier raised his eyebrows, "What? I like to check the news." Professor Xavier nodded, "Thank you." With that, she took the remote and turned on his office television, "Oh crap..." Kris said, staring at the screen in front of her. The reporter was in Boston covering a major story on a known mutant, namely her, "Now my parents know that they have at least one mutant kid. I can never go home." Kris said as the story went on.

"I doubt your parents will have a problem with your abilities." Professor Xavier replied, "They didn't come off as prejudicial."

"You never know." Kris replied as she watched the screen. They showed several interviews with some of Kris' former classmates, "They pick those three of all people?" Kris asked herself, "Jasmine hates me because her boyfriend claimed I tried to sleep with him, Raquel hates me because her sister has a crush on me," At this, Alex snickered, "Yeah, I find it amusing too. And flattering. Oh look, Becky. She hates me because she's just a bitch in general."

"Ms. Drake, language."

"Sorry, Professor." Kris said, "What am I going to do?"

"I think that for now, we should work out a schedule for you. We can worry about your appearance on the news later." Professor Xavier replied. Kris nodded, but her stomach growled just as she and the Professor were starting to work everything out, "How long has it been since you ate?"

Kris nodded, "I was suppose to get back home for dinner after I went out... You might have been able to tell that that didn't really work out." Professor X nodded, "And school lunches basically suck, so breakfast..."

"Yesterday." Professor Xavier said, "I see."

"You say that a lot, don't you?" Lorna asked. Professor Xavier looked at her with raised eyebrows, "'I see'. You say that a lot."

"Do I?" Professor Xavier asked. Alex chuckled. He had really missed his old professor. Professor Xavier looked back to Kris, "Well, then, I suppose we should get you something to eat." Kris nodded, the growling in her stomach becoming unbearable. She followed the Professor into the kitchen, "What would you like?"

Kris shrugged, "I have no idea. I never do until I see what I want. Bobby says it's my most irritating quality."

"Then, by all means, look around." Kris nodded and looked around the kitchen. Cabinets, a pantry, and the refrigerator. All of them had food in them, so she should be able _something_ to eat. Kris walked over to the refrigerator and pulled open the door. She looked around and saw some things, but nothing that interested her. She closed it and looked up, pulling open the freezer door. There was nothing in the door that looked good, so Kris started moving items around in an attempt to gain more from her search. Just as Kris was going to close the door, a small package in the back of the freezer caught her eye. She reached in and pulled it out, rubbing some frost off of the container.

"This works." She said excitedly as she read the container and closed the freezer door.

Professor Xavier raised his eyebrows, "A pint of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream?" He asked, "That's it?"

Kris nodded, "Professor, I haven't eaten in over 24 hours, I haven't had sugar in a month because my mother and father are on a health food kick, and I just found out that I am a mutant. It may not seem like it, but I am seriously freaked. I'm just being quiet about it. I think that I have every excuse in the world to eat a pint of ice cream for lunch."

"While I normally do not condone such an unhealthy course of action, but you seem to have several valid points." Kris nodded, "Just promise me that you plan on eating better from now on."

"Scouts Honor." Kris said as she pulled off the top and grabbed a clean spoon.

"You were a scout?"

"My mother made me." Kris replied as she took a bite of ice cream, "I just went along with it because my 'friends' thought that it was a great idea. So, yeah, it pretty much sucked."

"Friends?" Professor Xavier asked, "Were these the friends that gave you a black eye and busted your lips the day that I came to offer Bobby a place in the institute, or were these other friends?"

Kris chuckled for a second. She had forgotten that Professor X had come the day that her so called best friends had effectively smashed her face into a fine tapioca pudding, "Nope, the same ones." She said, "I did a lot of the stuff that they told me to."

"I see that." Professor Xavier said, "Why?"

"I don't know." Kris admitted, "I guess that I just wanted to fit in. You know, have people like me and all that jazz. Now I could care less about fitting in and what people think about me."

"And that is the way to go." A voice said as a very attractive young man, only a few years older then Kris, walked into the kitchen, "Hello Professor."

"John." Professor Xavier replied, "Kris, this is John Allerdyce. He's going to be a classmate of yours when we get you situated."

Kris finished the ice cream that was in her mouth before answering, "Fabulous." She held out her hand, "Kristine Drake. Please call me Kris."

"Why?"

"Because if you ever call me Kristine, I will break you in half."

"You super-strong or something?" John asked.

"No, I just hate being called Kristine." Kris replied.

John considered this for a moment, "Okay, Kris it is." Kris nodded in thanks, "What a second. Did you say 'Drake'?" Kris nodded, "Is she related to Bobby?" He asked Professor Xavier.

"Unless there are any other Bobby Drake's in the school that only you know about, then yes I am." Kris replied, "He my brother."

"Bobby never mentioned a sister."

"Didn't he now?" Kris replied, "This does not surprise me. Although, it does rather piss me off." She clenched her teeth together. Bobby had to talk about home, didn't he? Why was she never mentioned?

"Nope, no sister ever mentioned. Hey, what can you do?"

"According to the good professor situated to my right, I'm telepathic." Kris said, taking another bite of ice cream.

John raised his eyebrows, "Do you always talk like that?"

"Like what?" Kris asked, "In psychotically random and unnecessary detail?" John nodded, "Yes, I do. It's a quirk." John shrugged, "What about yourself?"

"What about myself?" He asked.

Kris sighed, "What's your power?"

"Oh." John said. He artfully pulled out a Zippo lighter and created a large fireball. The ball contorted into a spider and Kris couldn't help but be impressed and she was sure that it showed on her face.

"Just don't burn anything." Professor Xavier warned, "If you both will excuse me, I still have guests waiting for me in my office. I trust you will be able to find your way there when you are done, Ms. Drake."

"No prob, Professor." Kris replied. With that Professor Xavier left and Kris looked back to John, "So, tell me all the sordid details."

"Sordid details?" John asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You know Bobby. Everything he tells us at home can't be the whole story. What goes on around here? What's Bobby's status among the students? That kind of thing." Kris said.

John half-smiled, "You're a curious person, aren't you?" Kris nodded, "Okay, I'll tell you everything if you tell me one thing."

"Sure."

"Did you do that yourself?" He asked, pointing to her teeth.

Kris shook her head, "No, I have no idea where those came into play. Same with these." She held up her hands, showing off her new nails and wrist adornments.

"That's weird."

"You have no idea." Kris replied, "Now, about those details."

John sighed, "Well, did Bobby ever tell you guys that he has a girlfriend?"

"He has a... WHAT?" Kris asked. John chuckled, there was no way that Bobby was getting off easy with this girl and that was going to be extremely entertaining to watch, "A girlfriend? Like an _actual_ girlfriend?" John nodded, "Even the holding hands and hugging and kissing and stuff?" She asked, clearly pissed off that she hadn't known this before.

John, however, shook his head, "No. No kissing." Kris raised her eyebrows, "Rogue can't physically touch anyone. At least not skin to skin."

"Then how...?" Kris began, but figured she would give herself a headache if she thought about it too much, "That's weird."

"And having fangs and claws and the ability to get into people's heads isn't?" He asked with a little bit of smugness in his voice. Kris couldn't help but find that somewhat attractive; as long as there wasn't too much more behind what she heard.

Kris thought for a second, "Good point." She said. John laughed, which caused Kris to laugh. When she stopped, Kris automatically bit her lip. It was something that she had always done when she was trying to get someones attention.

John smiled, "If you need anyone to show you the ropes..."

"Someone that isn't my brother, you mean?" Kris asked. John nodded, "That would be great. He's about as interesting as that teacher in Farris Bueller's Day Off."

John nodded, "Well, if you do, then I would be happy to."

Kris smiled, "Thanks. That would be really great."


	3. Getting With The Program

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro, things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

Thanks so very, very much to Blue Phoenix 217 and icydragon14! YOU ROCK!

(-X-)

For the past hour and a half, Kris had done nothing but nonstop laughing. Professor Xavier thought that it was a wonderful idea that she get a students view on the school and he had consented to John showing her around. John made a joke out of everything that he showed her and her constant laughter at all of the things that he said was causing her stomach to start hurting. However, she found it really hard to care.

John's only reason behind actually making all of his jokes was wanting to make Kris laugh. He hadn't even intended on making his first joke, it had just kind of slipped out. When he heard her laugh, he wanted to hear it again and again, so he kept making jokes. Kris' laugh was indescribable to him and he wasn't sure why. It's not like he was in love with her at first sight or something; her laugh was interesting, that's all. Sure, on top of that, she was a very attractive person, but this was Bobby's sister.

"So, that's about it." John said, "Other then the pool, but I think you might have seen that out the window when I showed you the top level of the mansion."

"I did." Kris replied, "But now I know all about the school, but nothing about you." John raised his eyebrows, "What?"

John leaned against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest, "Why do you want to know about me?"

"You showed me around, you seem nice enough, you told me all about my brother and Rogue." Kris tallied off, "But all I know about you is your name and your power... Which is awesome, I might mention."

"Why thank you." John replied with a smug smile on his face, "I like to think so." Kris rolled her eyes and slapped John on the arm, "Ow! What was the for?" Kris smirked and scoffed, "You are intensely strange."

"Why thank you, I like to think so." Kris replied with her eyebrows raised. John laughed. She had spunk, that was for sure, and she didn't sugarcoat anything. He liked that in a girl. Most of the girls around the Institute were loud or chirpy or preppy or reclusive or shy and unsure of themselves. Although Kris was obviously still getting used to everything, she took to being a mutant really well. Better then he did, that was for sure. John liked seeing a girl, or person in general, who could handle something that heavy that was thrown at them.

"You stole that from me."

"So." Kris said. John, hard as he tried, couldn't think of anything to say back to her. He knew that he must have looked like an idiot just standing there, trying to figure out something to say. Kris chuckled, causing John to look at her curiously, "You're kind of cute when you can't think of anything to say."

"Is that a fact?" John asked. He hadn't expected her to be that forward about anything. Sure, she was her own person and all, but she was related to Bobby Drake. Hadn't some of his mild mannerisms rubbed off on her? John definitely wasn't complaining, he was just a little perplexed by how different the siblings were.

"Maybe it is. What are you going to do about it?" Kris asked. She had her head slightly cocked as she asked it. John had noticed that it was something that she did whenever she asked a smart ass question like the one she had just asked. Again, he wasn't complaining. In his opinion, Kris had a very sexy neck and he didn't mind when she showed it off like that.

John opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by an argument, "Come on, Alex!" Lorna's angry voice said as the two exited a room down the hall, "You know that I don't care. We're here, I want to meet your brother."

"Then have Jean introduce you." Alex replied, "I don't want to see Scott."

"No!" Lorna shot back, "He's your brother, you introduce us."

"But honey..."

"No buts." Lorna said, "We've been together for three years and this is the first time that I have met anyone from your past."

Kris chuckled, "Maybe we should leave, John. I have a feeling that this is a lovers quarrel that we shouldn't get into." Alex and Lorna, who had previously been oblivious to the presence of the two teenagers, shifted uncomfortably. It was obvious to Kris that they were a very private couple who didn't like their dirty laundry aired publicly. It explained why they had been attempting to stay as far away from anyone else in the park as possible when they were arguing.

John, however, wasn't interested in their discomfort, "How many lovers quarrels have you gotten into?" He asked, his face lighting up with amusement.

Kris sighed, "How long have we got?"

"As long as you need."

Sighing again, Kris replied, "Well, for one, I've had three guys, including one of my ex-best friends boyfriend, claim that I tried to sleep with them because they wanted their asses out of the fire with their girlfriends for some reason or another. Two, I've had a guy try to kick my ass because his girlfriend has a crush on me..."

"Is this the same girl that's the sister of that girl on the news today?" Alex interrupted. Kris nodded, "So, is she bi or something?"

"Nope." Kris replied, "Just really, really closeted. She's trying to cover up, so she has a boyfriend. The rest is a really long story that I don't want to get into right now... Or ever."

"Why not?" John asked.

"Because." Kris replied.

"Because why?" John asked.

Kris sighed, "You are a persistent little pain in the ass, aren't you?" John dropped his jaw in an attempt to mock indignation, but it didn't really work and he came off looking more like a fish, "Well you are."

John, ditching his failing attempt, nodded, "I know."

"Whatever." Kris said, "I want to go freak out Bobby."

John furrowed his eyebrows, "And how, exactly, do you plan on doing that?"

"I don't know." Kris said, "I said that I wanted to, not that I knew how I was going to do it."

"Walk up to him and tell him that you're getting married." Lorna suggested, "I did that to my parents as a joke when I was 18." Kris chuckled, "Let's just say that I was pissed at them and they didn't see the humor in the joke."

"Better yet, pay some random guy to tell him that you're getting married." Alex suggested.

"Where do you two get this stuff?" Kris asked, John nodding in agreement. Both of the adults shrugged, "Well that's informative."

Alex and Lorna looked to each other, "We know." They said.

"So you're really Cyclops' brother?" John asked. Alex nodded hesitantly; by the look on his face, he wasn't exactly the happiest in the world about that fact, "But you're..." John stopped, wondering where to go with his train of thought, "So different."

"Thank you." Alex replied. He noticed John trying to figure everything out, "We're siblings, not the same person."

"You seem confused by that notion." Kris said, "Like you're confused about me and Bobby being related. Why?"

John sighed, "_My_ little... You know what, never mind. Forget I ever asked." Kris noted how uneasy John got, so she decided against going any farther with her questioning. Maybe he would tell her more if he got to know her better, "Bobby should be down in the rec room, I'll show you down." He said.

"Thanks." Kris replied.

(-X-)

Down in the rec room, Bobby and Rogue were sitting and chatting with several of their friends. They all seemed to notice that John had been nowhere to be found since after class ended and that was their main source of conversation, "So, no one's seen him?" Rogue asked. Everyone shook their heads, "Where could he have gone?"

Low rumblings spread through the group, everyone thinking up possible places that John could have run off to. None of the ideas were very much help and most of them were instantly scraped by whomever thought of them. The rumblings ceased, however, when Professor Xavier, along with Scott and Jean, came up to them, "Hello Professor." Everyone said.

"Hello everyone."

"Professor, have you seen John?" Bobby asked.

"I have." Professor Xavier replied, "He is showing a new student around." Everyone furrowed their eyebrows. Why would John want to show a new student around? He never wanted to do anything like that, it just wasn't what he did. Normally he scared the new students if he got the chance.

"And you let him?" Bobby asked in shock.

"Well, gee, Robert." A voice said, making everyone turn, "That shows confidence in your friend." Bobby started gasping and trying to catch his breath as he stared at the young woman in front of him, "You must be Rogue." She said, pulling over a chair and looking Rogue over as she sat down.

"And you are?" Rogue asked.

"I'm Kris... Bobby's sister."

Rogue, and just about everyone in the group, gasped, "Bobby never mentioned he had a sister." She said, glaring angrily at her boyfriend.

"Really? Didn't he?" Kris asked, "Well, he never mentioned that he had a girlfriend, either, so I guess that we're even." Rogue's eyes grew, "Yeah, I had to find out about you from John."

"I can't believe you!" Rogue exclaimed, slapping Bobby as hard as she could on the chest. Bobby groaned in pain and rubbed his chest, "Oh, don't be such a baby!"

Kris chuckled, "You know, I like her. She has fire."

"Who has fire?" John asked as he walked up behind Kris, "I heard something about fire."

"Rogue." Kris replied, "Rogue has fire. She slapped Bobby."

"And I missed it?" John asked.

"Yeah, you did." Kris replied.

"Damn." John mumbled, sitting down next to Kris and playing with his Zippo lighter, "I would love to have seen that." Kris nodded and leaned over, slapping Bobby as hard as she could upside the head. John, and several other including Rogue, laughed loudly as Bobby rubbed the side of his head. Kris smiled and flipped her hair back over her shoulder.

Kris noticed the odd looks she was getting from Jean and Scott. Though Jean had seen her before, she hadn't really spent much time around her and hadn't seen her changes. Both of them had only know her as the small and meek little blonde with a bruised face. Now that she was different, they really noticed it. _'She reminds me of Alex.' _Scott thought as he looked her over and let her personality change sink in, "Why thank you." She said, looking at Scott.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"Thank you for thinking that I remind you of Alex." Kris replied, "I like him. He's cool."

Scott stood stupefied for a moment before Jean leaned over to him and said, "She's a telepath, Scott. Alex is the one who brought her in."

Kris nodded as Scott comprehended everything, "Yeah. By the way, he's upstairs getting yelled at by his girlfriend because she wants to meet you but he doesn't want to do the introductions. As for the telepathy, it's not easy to control. I can't tell you how many things I've heard since I've been here that I really didn't need to know."

"Like what?" John asked.

"None of your business." Kris said with a little smirk on her face, "But thanks for your help earlier, Professor. I think that my head would have exploded if you..."

"You're welcome, Kris." Professor Xavier replied.

Bobby, who had remained oddly silent throughout the entire conversation, finally found his voice and spoke, "So, wait a second, you're a mutant too?"

Kris sighed, not believing what he was saying, "Are you just getting this? I mean, come on! Where have you been for the past five minutes? You are such a moron sometimes." Kris scoffed and Bobby noticed her new teeth for the first time. He stared and Kris rolled her eyes, "What? Is it the teeth?"

"Yeah." Bobby said, "When did that happen?"

"It's part of my mutation, idiot." Kris replied.

Bobby sighed, "Who put what in your Cheerios?" He asked, wondering where his sisters heightened bitchiness had come from.

Kris sighed, "Bobby... Just..." Kris thought for a moment, "Just shut up."

(-X-)

Scott took a deep breath as he stood in front of the door of the room that Professor Xavier had said that Alex was staying in until he left. Scott had serious reservations about actually knocking on the door and even if he did knock, it was more then likely that he would bolt away as fast as possible. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his brother, it was just better that he didn't. Every time that they were around each other, they tried to kill each other or got into an argument that left a bitter taste in both of their mouths.

Taking another deep breath, Scott raised his fist and knocked extremely gently on the wooden door, "Just a second." A female voice said. Scott raised his eyebrows, that must have been the girlfriend that Kris had been talking about. Her voice was nice and calming. Maybe she could calm Alex down once and a while.

After a few minutes, the door opened and Scott jerked back in surprise. The woman raised her one of her green eyebrows in response and Scott cringed. How much of an idiot could he be? He hadn't meant to jerk back, it had just happened, "I... Um... Okay, that was intensely rude."

"It happens." She said, flipping her green hair behind her shoulder, "Trust me, it has before." Scott shifted uncomfortably, "I'm Lorna, you must be Scott." She held out her hand and Scott took it.

"I am." He replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lorna." Lorna nodded, "And I'm very sorry."

Lorna shook her head, "It's nothing, really. I get it all the time, even from other mutants." Scott sighed, "I promise, I don't take any offense. Alex did the same thing the first time he saw me... and then he spilled hot coffee down my shirt."

Scott laughed, but he was cut off, "I was completely enamored with your beauty, dear. You know that I didn't mean to do that." Alex said as he came to the door and kissed Lorna on the cheek.

Lorna sighed, "I don't care, it was really fucking hot." She said.

"I love you." Alex said with a smile.

"You better." Lorna replied, patting him on the cheek.

Alex sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew that Lorna was just joking around, but did she really have to do that in front of Scott? "Right." He murmured, "So, Scott. What can I do for you?"

"I came to meet Lorna." Scott replied.

"Is that all?" Alex asked, "Well, now you've met her. Good-bye." Alex tried to pull Lorna back in the room as he tried to pull the door closed. Lorna stopped him and glared, "What?" He asked in an irritated whisper.

"A two second conversation?" Lorna asked, "That's not meeting him, that's passing through and acknowledging his existence." Alex shrugged and nodded, as if that was enough, "Alex!"

"Gee, thanks." Scott spat.

"You're welcome." Alex replied.

Scott scoffed, "You are so immature."

"And you're a prick." Alex shot back, "And a tight ass boy scout."

Both brothers seemed to have forgotten all about Lorna, who had managed to get out of the line of fire. She was shaking her head and seriously thinking about knocking both of them unconscious, "What was the point in even coming and trying to you? You're selfish and you only think about yourself!"

Alex clenched his fists, "Thanks for the lecture... _DAD_!" Scott, who was extremely tempted pull off his sunglasses and knock his brother through a wall, took a moment to control his seething anger and walked off, "You're going have to confront it sometime, Scott! You can't run away forever."

"Alex!" Lorna exclaimed, her voice drenched in shock and amazement. It was clear to Alex that it wasn't the good type of amazement, either.

"What?" Alex asked innocently.

Lorna scoffed, "Was that at all necessary?"

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Alex sighed, "He's not my father. He's my brother. I wish for once that he would act like it."

"He's just trying to watch out for you." Lorna replied, "After your parents died, he thought he was the only one left; and then he found you again. You have to know what kind of responsibility that he felt like..."

"I know." Alex said, "And I tried telling him that he didn't need to." With that, Alex walked back into the room. Lorna sighed, but walked back in as well, hoping that she could calm Alex down and convince him to have a civilized conversation with his brother.


	4. The Painful Past

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro, things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**Black Amber-** Thank you so much! I'm glad that you love Kris and think that she's awesome. I tried to make her as realistic as possible. I don't have any brother's, just a sister, so I wanted more then anything to make her interaction with Bobby as real as possible. As for lighthearted, some parts will be, others won't. I can't say for sure whether, collectively, it will be lighthearted, but I hope you continue to like it even if it isn't.

Many, many thanks to icydragon14 and Blue Phoenix 217!

(-X-)

_A young boy, only about 10 years old or so, sat on a stiff-backed chair and rocked back and forth. He held his knees to his chest, attempting to keep out the cold of the large, white hospital room that he was sitting in. Through the hair hanging in his face, he stared at one of the beds. His face was tear streaked, but he didn't bother to wipe the new tears away. The boy's glazed over eyes watched the bed, hoping and praying for the smallest movement. _

_Doctors and nurses walked in and out, showering the boy with looks of pity that he didn't want nor need, "John?" One of the doctors, a younger woman with brown hair and brown eyes, asked. _

"_What?" John asked back as he sniffled. _

_The doctor, Dr. Hayes, smiled, "I have some good news for you." John perked up, "Your mother is going to be fine. She's out of surgery and resting at the moment, but if you want to see her then you should be able to in a few hours." _

_John gulped, "What about the baby?" He asked, boring holes into Dr. Hayes with his eyes, "Is it okay?" _

"_Yes, she is." _

"_She?" John asked, "It's a girl?" Dr. Hayes nodded with a smile on her face, "Can I see her? I want to see her!" _

_Dr. Hayes sighed, "Not now, John." John, upon hearing this, went frantic. He tried to run away from her and bit whomever tried to keep him down, "John, John! Calm down, please." John shook his head, how could they tell him to calm down? His mother had taken a huge blow in the car crash that only he had walked away from unscathed, he wasn't allowed to see his newborn baby sister, and the only man who had ever been a father to him was lying in the hospital bed after being both shot and in the massive car crash that had almost claimed his mother. The car crash had actually been caused by him getting shot in the shoulder and losing control over the car; needless to say, he was the worst off. _

"_John..." A weak voice whispered. _

_John immediately stopped everything and looked at the bed, "Evan?" He walked up to the bed, hoping to hear Evan speak again, "Evan? Evan?" John thought for a moment, "Dad?" _

_A strained laugh hit John's ears, "Dad?" He asked, "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to call me that." John laughed as tears began falling down his face again, "Now... what was all that commotion about?"_

"_They won't let me see the baby." John replied, "They say that she's okay, but that I can't see her. I really want to." _

_"Her?" Evan asked. John nodded and a smile graced Evan's lips, "My girl. I have a little girl. Just what I wanted." John nodded, "I didn't need a boy. I have the best son I could have asked for." Evan raised his hand and placed it on John's back. Tears flooded down John's face; he didn't deserve for Evan to call him 'the best son'. _

"_No I'm not." John said through his tears. _

_Evan nodded, "Yes, John, you are. You're all I could have asked for in a son." John swallowed hard, "I love you, son." _

"_I love you, too, dad." John replied as he leaned over and hugged Evan as best he could. _

"_What about your mother?" Evan asked with worry in his voice. John looked into Evan's eyes, "Is she okay?" _

"_She's fine, Mr. Palmer." Dr. Hayes said quickly, "Your fiancée has several broken bones, she was jarred around quite a bit, and there was slight internal bleeding, but everything was fixable and she is resting at the moment." _

_Evan sighed, "Thank God." He mumbled, "Were you hurt John?" John shook his head no. Evan breathed deeply, heavily relieved. Looking at the ceiling, Evan mumbled to himself, "John's fine, the baby is fine, Roxanne is fine..." A coughing fit took him over, effectively cutting him over. _

"_Dad?" John asked, clearly worried, "Dad? Are you okay?" _

_After the coughing subsided, Evan cleared his throat and took several deep breaths to calm himself down, "I'm fine." He said, "Fine..." John furrowed his eyebrows, not really believing Evan's claims, but not about to call him a liar, "What should we call the baby?" _

"_Mom wanted you to pick." John replied. _

_Evan turned his head, "Really?" He asked causing John to nod, "I thought she was joking." John shook his head no, "I wonder... I always have loved 'Cadence'." _

"_Then that's it." John replied, "She's Cadence." _

"_You and your mother can pick out her middle name, if you want." Evan said, holding on to John's arm. John smiled and nodded, but he stopped smiling when Evan's grip became exceptionally tight. Gurgling reached John's ears and a loud and long beep emitted from the machine that Evan was hooked up to. _

"_Dad?" _

"_He coding!" Someone shouted as John was pulled out of the way. The frantic doctors moved as fast as they could, bringing machines into the room. John was pulled out of the room and he began kicking. He didn't care who he had to kick, he needed to get back to Evan._

* * *

In her room in the Institute, Kris sat up, breathing heavily, "Holy shit." She mumbled, wondering where a dream like that had come from. 

(-X-)

Kris had been unable to get back to sleep after her dream. She couldn't think of sleeping, or anything else other then what she had seen in her dream, the rest of the night. That boy, his name was John. He hadn't looked much like the John that she knew, but it was possible that it was him, wasn't it?

All she could do was ask him. For the past several hours, she had been looking for him, but he seemed to have disappeared. She had asked what seemed like every student in the Institute if they had seen him and they all said that they hadn't, and it was the same for the teachers. After a while, Kris found her search was going nowhere, so she found a spot under a tree on the grounds and sat down, "This is even worse then trying to find Bobby and Ronnie after they broke grandma's Italian vase."

"They did what?" A voice asked, causing Kris to look around. She smiled as she looked up in the tree and saw John. He jumped down, "And you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, don't you?"

Kris chuckled, "They broke our grandmother's favorite vase that she got on a trip to Italy and yes, I know that rather well. I'm not really all that fussed about it because I know that I passed the first sign a _long_ time ago." John chuckled, "And I've been looking for you. You are intensely hard to find when you want to be."

"Really?"

Kris nodded, "Yeah. Kind of... In the big way."

John chuckled again, "And why, do tell, were you looking for me?"

Sighing, Kris thought of how to ask, "I... Well... Um..." John raised his eyebrows, "This is going to sound really weird, but do you happen to remember having a dream last night?"

"I might have had a dream." John replied, "Why? Do you want to know if it was about you?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively for a few seconds and caused Kris to scoff, "What?"

"You are a total pig sometimes, you know." Kris replied.

"I don't like to think so."

Kris shook her head, "Whatever." She said, "No I was not wondering if I was any part of it. Actually, I was wondering if it had anything to do with a guy named Evan in a hospital." John's eyes widened and Kris could hear his breath catching in his throat, "It did, didn't it?"

John took a couple of shuttering breaths, "Kris... How in hell did you know about Evan? Better yet, how did you know that I had that dream last night?"

"I had the same dream." Kris said, John's face slapped with a disbelieving expression.

"You mean you got into my head." John replied, clearly pissed off, "Kris, that's an invasion of privacy and that event, in particular, is none of anyone's business." Kris gaped, she had never seen John this angry, "How did you think that you..."

Kris, after being so shocked that she couldn't speak, finally found herself able to speak in her own defense, "John, I swear, if I did get into your head then it was a complete accident. I can't really control what I can do yet and I'm sorry. I really didn't..."

"Even if you didn't Kris..." John said, "You know what... Just forget altogether about anything that you saw and we'll be good." With that, John walked off as fast as he could.

Kris found herself unable to move, "John!" She called as she watched his retreating back, "John!" He didn't stop or look back, causing Kris to wonder. She didn't want to push him, but she wanted to know why he had become so angry. What had happened to cause Evan to flat line? Did he even make it? What about the little sister or mother that were mentioned? "All of these questions are going to make him hate you for the rest of your life, Kris."

"You talk to yourself?" A voice asked.

"Hi Alex." Kris replied, not even having to look back to see who was talking to her, "Are you leaving? I saw you packing a couple of hours ago." She turned to look at him when he said this, "Lorna's not with you?"

"No." Alex replied, "She's been kidnapped by Jeanie and Rory, that's Dr. Grey and Ms. Munroe to you. They want to get any and all information on our relationship that they can before we leave."

Kris chuckled, "Of course they do, they're women. It's encoded in our DNA or something. We have to know what's what about everything."

"Yeah, I've kind of noticed." Alex replied, "We're heading back home so I guess this is goodbye."

Kris nodded, "For now, at least." She said, "I fully expect both of you to come back and visit." Alex tried to protest, "Alex, you and Lorna helped me and brought me to the one place that could tell me that I wasn't going crazy." Alex raised his eyebrows. Kris sighed, of course he wouldn't have known about her symptoms, "When I was first getting my power, I got these really bad headaches and I thought I was hearing voices. My parents took me to about 20 million doctors, but none of them found anything wrong and most of them thought that I was either crazy or looking for attention."

"Really?" Alex asked.

"Yeah." Kris replied, "I was even starting to believe them."

Alex sighed, "You know, we're in the same boat." Kris crossed her arms across her chest, "When I was young, I had horrible cramps in my arms. No doctor found anything and my foster parents and I were getting desperate. Then, what do you know, Professor X showed up."

"We're more alike then Cyclopes... I mean, Mr. Summers, thought."

For a moment, Alex looked like his head was going to pop. His face turned red as his stared to laugh, "Mr. Summers makes him sound so old. I love it!" Kris laughed but Alex moved on quickly, "He thinks we're alike?"

"Yeah." Kris replied, "He thought it the first day that I was here. I accidentally let it slip into my head."

"Accidentally?"

"I'm working on it!" Kris exclaimed.

Nodding, Alex replied, "I know you are. It's going to be a lot of work, but sooner or later, you'll get it."

"Hopefully sooner." Kris replied, "Then maybe I won't screw up any more friendships that I _might_ have had." Sighing, Kris sat back down against the tree that she had been sitting down next to before.

Alex gave her a look of confusion before he managed to say, "Beg pardon?"

Sighing deeply, Kris replied, "I accidentally got into a friend's dream and I asked him about it. Apparently it was really, really personal because he got pissed and walked off. Then you heard me talking to myself because I'm an idiot. I never should have brought it up. I should have just let what I saw go."

"You were curious." Alex said, "It's human nature."

Kris chuckled, "Human nature? Alex, you might not have noticed, but I'm not human. None of us here are."

"Mutants are still human, just a little different." Alex insisted.

"If you say so."

Alex nodded, "I do." Kris sighed, but she managed a small smirk, "There is that smile I was looking for. How about you go try to talk to this guy again, apologize your little ass off, and hope that he understands that it was an accident. And, even if he doesn't, don't worry about it. It's his loss, not yours."

"Thanks, Alex." Kris replied as she pushed her hair back behind her ears. Without thinking, Kris gave Alex a hug. He obviously was surprised and taken aback by her actions, but he returned the hug nonetheless.

When she released him, Alex asked, "What was that for?"

"I don't know." Kris replied, "Just another thank you." Alex nodded, "But I swear, if you don't come back and visit sometimes, I'm going to beat you into the ground." Alex raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "What? I may not look like it, but I can back myself up."

"Really?" Alex asked, "But you're so little."

"I have a fast metabolism!" Kris exclaimed, "I can't help it. I'm trying to gain weight."

Alex stood there for a second, "Now that is a sentence I never thought I would hear a girl your age say." Kris chuckled. It was true, most girls her age were obsessing over loosing weight. She, on the other hand, had to pack it on as much as possible or people would think that she was anorexic or something, "You'd better find that person that you want to apologize to."

Kris nodded, "Yeah." She said, "So, I'll see you when you come back to visit?" She had her eyebrows raised and he knew that there was no way that he was getting out of this.

"Absolutely." He replied.

Kris smiled, "Bye."

"Bye, Kris." He said. She ran off and Alex thought about his predicament, "First Lorna, then Kris?" He asked himself, "Jeez, only for a girl would you risk seeing Scott."

(-X-)

John sat in the window of the bed room that he shared with Bobby. He hadn't meant to go off on Kris but the topic that she had brought up was exceptionally personal. No one knew about it. Not Bobby, Rogue, or even the Professor knew about that. Actually, no one knew _anything _about his past.

A knock came on the door and John looked back in the room, "Who is it?" He asked.

After a couple minutes of silence a voice finally said, "It's Kris... Can I come in?" John sighed. He didn't want to have to explain everything... But, then again, he did want to apologize for going off, "Please?"

"It's open." John said as he stepped back into his room. Kris entered and John couldn't help but notice that she seemed scared stiff, "What can I do for you?" He asked as he leaned against a wall, praying that he could just become a part of it.

"I wanted to apologize." Kris replied, "But I also want you to know that I didn't mean to get into your head. I'm really working hard on getting this all under control."

Sighing, John nodded, "I know. Trust me, when I found out what I could do I was a little freaked. But I thought that it was the coolest thing in the world and I wanted to do it whenever I could." Kris chuckled, "Trust me, you'll get it. As for the apology, it's really not necessary. _I _should be apologizing for going off like I did."

"No." Kris replied, "Whatever it was, it was personal. You had every right to be angry. I just wish that you would have listened to my explanation earlier." Kris walked up to John and sighed, "I don't mean to get into any of your business, but if you want to talk to someone about anything, then I'm here."

Sighing, John said, "Thanks."

"Your welcome." Kris replied. After several minutes of slightly uncomfortable silence, Kris finally managed to say, "That's all I wanted, so..."

John nodded, "Yeah." He said, hoping that he didn't sound to eager for her to go, "I guess I'll..."

"See you around." Kris finished.

"Right." John said, nodding. Kris smiled and turned to walk away. John couldn't help but stare at her as she exited the room, "Kris?" He called. Kris turned back into the room and John wondered why he had called her back. He hadn't intended to but the look on Kris' face was that of someone expecting something. Not really knowing what else to do, he walked up and said, "Thanks again."

Kris smiled, showing off her bright white new teeth. John didn't think that he had ever seen a more interesting or beautiful smile, "No problem." At that moment, John realized how close he had actually gotten to Kris. They weren't even six inches apart and, when he noticed this, his instincts took over. As quick as a flash, John leaned over the short distance and planted a kiss right on Kris' lips. She jumped slightly, not expecting a kiss.

A fact very that was very unknown by her brothers, parents, and practically everybody was that Kris had indeed kissed and been kissed in the past. However, John by far one of the best. He wasn't timid like one of the people that she had kissed, but he didn't try to swallow her head whole like another. John, finally realizing what was going on, pulled back, "I..."

"I should go." Kris said as she backed out of the room and walked away. John rolled his eyes and himself and banged his head on the wall. That could have gone better... But he had to admit, she was good.


	5. Getting Somewhere

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**RogueVampire-** I'm very happy that you like Kris. I try hard to make my characters likable, unless you aren't suppose to like them and then I do the opposite… You get what I mean. Thanks for the review!

Many thanks to go icydragon14, Black Amber, and Blue Phoenix 217! You all keep me inspired!

(-X-)

Professor Xavier sat in his office in deep thought. The sounds of students running around outside his window nor gossiping on the other side of his door made the slightest impression on him. His mind was only occupied by one thing; Kris. When he had first set up a time for her to come and meet him for a special session to help her control her powers, he had had his ideas and suspicions about her limitations…

Those had been completely blown out of the water.

Kris had untapped power potential that he had only seen in a select few mutants; the amount of those mutants could be counted on no more then two hands. It wasn't just her telepathic powers either. When he had entered her mind- with her permission, of course- he realized that when she got extremely agitated or felt pressured her adrenaline would skyrocket, thus giving her superhuman endurance.

How was this girl the same girl that he had met two years ago? He would be the first to admit that becoming a mutant can greatly change a person, but this wasn't a change. This could only be described as a full personality and self-esteem overhaul. Thinking back, Professor Xavier remembered the first day that he met the Drake family.

* * *

_Scott and Jean flanked either side of Professor Xavier's wheelchair as he rolled from the van that was parked on the street. Carefully adjusting his sunglasses, Scott sighed as he looked around the seemingly perfect suburban landscape. Both the Professor and Jean could tell, not needing to read his mind, that he was uncomfortable. With his childhood the way that it had been before he had come to the Institute, they were not surprised. However, Scott collected himself and the three made their way to the house with no problems. _

_Jean rang the doorbell and they waited for a short while without a response, "Do you think that they aren't home?" Scott asked. _

"_Oh, they're home." Professor Xavier said, "At least, Mr. and Mrs. Drake are. I believe they are cleaning out the attic. Ring it again, Jean, they should be coming down now." Jean nodded and rang the bell again. This time, after only about 30 seconds, a dark haired woman answered the door, "Mrs. Drake?" _

"_Yes?" Madeline asked, staring in confusion at the group in front of her, "Can I help you with something." _

_Professor Xavier nodded, "My name is Professor Charles Xavier, I run a school in Westchester, New York, and I was hoping to talk to you and your husband about your son Robert." Madeline nodded and allowed the three in, calling her husband down as she did so. Professor Xavier introduced himself to William and then introduced Jean and Scott to both parents. _

"_It's a pleasure." William said, shaking Scott and Jean's hands, "Should we talk in the living room?" _

"_I think that that would be best." Professor Xavier said as he followed the Drake's into the living room, followed by Scott and Jean. When they were situated in the living room, Professor Xavier explained everything about the school- everything other then it being a school for mutants, that is- and claimed that he had learned of Bobby through the regular standard tests that every school heard from. Of course, the Drake's had many questions, and all of them were satisfactorily answered. _

_Madeline, however, was quite hesitant. At first it was attributed to a mother not willing to part from her child, but that wasn't the problem. She knew Bobby better then most and she knew that he had certain difficulties. When she tried to explain what she meant, it sounded worse to her then to any one else in the room and that was saying something, "How do you mean?" Jean asked politely, hoping that she could come up with a better explanation._

_Sighing, Madeline replied, "What I mean is my son is a cynical underachiever." _

"_Madeline, I think that you're over exaggerating." William cut in. He knew that she was telling the truth, but this school was a great opportunity. Slacking off was something that wouldn't stand, he was sure. Bobby might have less of a chance if they knew his habits. _

_Shaking her head, Madeline replied, "No I am not and you know it, William." William sighed, "He's been slacking off since he started high school. You know how bad he can get sometimes." _

_Professor Xavier nodded in understanding, "I see. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Drake, I can assure you that that is a problem that we can remedy at my Institute." _

_Scott agreed, "I've, personally, dealt with my fair share of slackers." He said, "And I've helped fix a few." _

"_Really?" Madeline asked, "That's comforting." She admitted. Before anyone could add anything else to the conversation, the door swung open and that sound of two very excited teenage boys stampeding through the door. _

"_FREEDOM!" An excited voice shouted._

"_Summer vacation! Summer vacation! Summer vacation!" Another voice chanted as the two boys linked arms and jigged around the front hallway. _

_Professor Xavier, Jean, and Scott did everything in their power to stop from laughing, but that was easier said then done. William sighed as Madeline massaged her temples with her hands, "Bobby! Ronnie!" She exclaimed, causing the two boys stopped and finally noticed that they had company. _

"_What's going on?" Ronnie asked, "Who are they?" Bobby nodded, raising his eyebrows in question. _

_William sighed, "Bobby, Ronnie, this is Professor Charles Xavier…"_

"_Professor?" Bobby asked, interrupting his father. _

"_Yes." Professor Xavier replied, looking intently at Bobby and making him slightly uncomfortable, "I run a school in Westchester, New York and I am here to offer you a place in it, Robert." _

"_Just Bobby… And, what?" He asked, "Um… I'm slightly confused." _

_Professor Xavier, Scott, and Jean prepared to explain, but Ronnie, who was too excited to keep in his enthusiasm, practically shouted, "We're getting rid of Bobby?" Bobby glared at the smile on his face and promptly slapped his brother on the side of the head, "Hey!" Ronnie exclaimed, igniting a tussle between his brother and himself. _

"_Bobby! Ronnie!" Madeline exclaimed, "Please, we have guests." The boys mumbled their apologies and it was then that Madeline noticed that someone was missing, "Where is your sister?" She asked, feeling bad that she hadn't noticed it before. Kris was normally so quiet that it was not surprising that she hadn't been missed. _

"_We don't know." Bobby and Ronnie admitted. _

_Madeline raised her eyebrows, readying herself to speak, but the door opened, stopping her. Bobby and Ronnie raised their eyebrows as the looked at the figure entering the door, "Hey, what happened to your face?" Bobby asked, jerking away the large ice pack that Kris had covering her face._

"_Bobby!" Kris exclaimed, "Give that back!" Bobby shook his head and threw it to Ronnie, who jumped away from her and into the living room. Kris followed him until she saw her parents and the three strangers._

"_Oh my god!" William and Madeline whispered in shock as they stared at their only daughter. Professor Xavier, Scott, and Jean were equally as shocked. The diminutive girl in front of them was a bona fide mess. Her blonde hair -with about an inch or so of dark brown regrowth- was skewed and sweaty, her eyes were blackened though the right was worse, her lips were split and bloody, her nose had obviously been bleeding, and her left cheek had a cut on it that looked like it came from a ring._

"_It's no big deal." Kris said quickly. Too quickly, in fact. _

"_Yeah." Ronnie said, "Other then your face looks like a bowl of grape and strawberry oatmeal." _

_Kris grabbed away her icepack and sarcastically shot back, "What a great comeback, Ronnie." Not bothering to say anything else, Kris ran up the stairs before anyone could stop her. However, only a few moments later, a blood curdling scream came from above, "WHO LOCKED FLUFFY IN MY ROOM?" Kris yelled as she stomped down the stairs, holding a small fluffy, gray kitten. She plopped the kitten in her mother's lap and sighed as she turned. After retrieving carpet cleaner and a scrub brush, she was gone. _

* * *

After a few minutes, Professor Xavier had asked for some time alone with Bobby. At that point, he had explained the true nature of his arrival. It was obvious that Bobby was freaked out by what he could do, but he was calmed by the Professor's promise of help. 

Not long after, Kris left the house and Bobby was scared that she had overheard them. Even if she had, which she hadn't, she didn't show it. Kris merely walked up to them and handed Bobby a lunch box, _"You left this at school." _She had said. Kris turned to walk away, but Bobby grabbed a hold of her arm to stop her, _"What do you want?"_

"_What happened?" _Bobby asked back, _"And don't give me any of that 'Nothing, I'm fine' bull."_

Kris had sucked in her cheeks, clearly not wanting to get into what had happened, _"Let's just say that I've learned a valuable lesson; you can't trust anybody, not even your friends." _And with that, she had jerked her arm away and walked off.

It seemed to Professor Xavier that that had been the final straw that pushed her over the edge. When Bobby arrived at the beginning of the next school year, Professor Xavier welcomed him and asked how his family was. Bobby had said that nothing was out of the ordinary except for his sister shaving her head bald and throwing away all of her clothes two days after 'the incident'.

That incident, however, was probably the best thing that could have happened to Kris. At least, that's what Professor Xavier thought. If she had gained the amount of power that she had and was still the shy, low esteemed, and self-conscious person that she was then there would have been a very little chance that she could ever have reached her full potential. Luckily that was not the case.

(-X-)

From where he was lurking John could see the top of Kris' head as she laid face down on a bench in front of the Institute. He wanted to walk up to her and talk to her but, for some reason, he was afraid to. Why? He had no idea, "Don't be such a punk." He mumbled to himself as he fiddled with his Zippo lighter. No matter how much John repeated that to himself, he could make himself move. In fact, he was too busy arguing with himself that he didn't notice when Kris sat up and moved.

"You know that the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself, right?" A voice asked, making John look up.

John chuckled, remembering that he had said that to her, as Kris leaned against the tree close to his, "What can I do for you?"

Kris shrugged, "I was bored and I wanted to talk. I saw you lurking over here earlier so I decided that I wanted to talk to you." John leaned against his tree and crossed his arms across his chest, "Plus you're the only person around at the moment who isn't a teacher that can hold a stimulating conversation."

"Oh, you think I'm stimulating, do you?" John asked jokingly.

"Ha." Kris replied shortly, "You're a regular Dice."

Shaking his head slightly, John replied, "No, I think I've got one up on Dice." With that, he quickly opened and ignited the Zippo lighter and created a large fireball, "What do you think?"

"Definitely one up on the Dice-man." Kris agreed with a smile on her face. John tried to smile, but Kris could tell that it was, at least, an uncomfortable smile, "What's up?" She asked, wondering how he could switch moods so easily.

"Have you ever had one defining moment when you changed completely?"

Kris was taken aback for a moment, wondering where a question like that could come from. But, strangely enough, she actually had an answer, "Yeah, the last day of my freshman year of High School. I was 14."

"Really?" John asked. Kris nodded, "What happened?"

Kris chuckled bitterly at the memory, "My so called best friends beat my face into mush. I had done everything to make them as happy with me as they possibly could be, but it wasn't enough for them. From the minute the started punching me to when they were driving me home I was scared. Then when I got home, I got pissed."

"What'd you do?"

"I spent two days letting all of my feelings and anger build up. Then I shaved all of my blonde hair off and threw out all of the clothes that they thought were cute." John snorted in laughter, "Trust me, I have pictures."

John snickered, "I'd like to see that."

"Don't have any with me. Sorry." Kris replied, "Anyway, over the next couple of months, I made it clear to them that I wasn't someone that they could play with."

"How'd you do that?"

"Punched most of them out." Kris replied with a smile on her face, "And I mentioned that one of them was getting cozy with another's boyfriend."

John snickered again, "Ouch."

Kris nodded, "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know if it was just me." John replied.

Raising her eyebrows, Kris asked, "Care to elaborate, John?" John shook his head, "Oh come on! I can't see what's going on inside your head." John chuckled and raised his eyebrows, "I'm working on it! Plus I wouldn't do it without your permission."

John nodded, "You won't tell anybody if I tell you?" Kris shook her head, "Okay… You promise?"

"Yes!" Kris shot back, exasperated, "Jeez."

John rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm sure you remember what I happened when I was 10." Kris nodded, "That's not my moment. Nothing terrible happened. Evan made it through, my mom was okay, Cadence wasn't hurt… We all made it out fine. My mom and I picked out her middle name; Justine. Time went by and we were a family."

"What happened?" Kris asked softly.

After taking a moment, John said, "Two years later I was walking home from school, like I always did. When I was almost home a big black van stopped on the side of the road- original right?- and these two guys got out and dragged me in." Kris gaped, "When the started driving again, I asked who they were and what they wanted. There was someone else in the van, other then the driver and the guys who grabbed me, and he said 'Just call me dad. It's been a while, John.'"

"Oh my God." Kris mumbled.

"I hadn't seen the son of a bitch since he walked out when I was two and he wanted me to call him 'dad'." John said, "He wasn't a dad. Evan was my dad." Kris wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words, "Then, when I was fourteen, I got my powers. There was a lit candle in the room that I was stuck in and I made the fire shoot across the room because I was so angry. I managed to get out, but I don't know about anybody else. They were all sleeping."

Kris gulped lightly, "John… It was an accident."

"I know." John said, "But I have to ask myself… Would I still have done it if I could have chosen to?"

"You're not a murderer, John."

John chuckled, "Thanks."

Hoping to satisfy her curiosity, but not wanting to push him, Kris carefully asked, "Have you seen your family since then?" John didn't have to answer; his expression was enough to tell her that he hadn't, "I'm sure you will."

John smiled, "Again, thanks." Kris managed a very small smile back and all she could think of was, _'Oh my God! He has such an amazingly sexy smile! Wait just a second. I shouldn't be… You know what? Screw it.' _Kris straightened herself up and gave John a kiss on the cheek, "What was that for?"

Shrugging, Kris replied, "Just because I felt like it."

"Oh… No wonder you're still single."

"I beg your pardon?" Kris asked in shock.

John shrugged, "It's nothing." He said, "I just thought that you could do _way _better then that. But that's okay, I've been disappointed before. No problem." John chuckled to himself as Kris gaped indignantly, "What?"

"You think that that is the best that I can do?" Kris asked.

"You haven't shown me anything to the contrary." John replied. Kris laughed to herself, she couldn't believe what he had just said. Taking a fistful of John's shirt, she pulled him closer and gave him a prolonged kiss on the lips. When she let him go, John said, "Better."

"Better?" Kris asked, "That's all I get?"

John thought for a moment, "You know what?"

"What?" Kris asked.

John responded, but not in the way that Kris thought that he would; he leaned forward and kissed her. Neither one of them felt timid like they had before and they just went with the flow of everything that was happening. Soon, Kris found herself leaning against her tree again with John's hands on her neck and face and her arms wrapped around him. Her hands rested on his back, which felt very nice underneath his shirt, and she pulled him closer to her.

After several minutes passed, John pulled back slightly, "What's the probability that Bobby's head would have exploded if he saw that?"

"About a million percent." Kris replied.

"Okay." John said, quickly returning to kissing Kris; something that she was very happy with.


	6. Make a Move

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**Black Amber-** It would have been funny to make Bobby catch John and Kris kissing, but I have another idea for him to find out. I think that it'll be funny, but I'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully everyone will like what I do. Thanks!

**-BeeVee-THEEAmazing-** Thank you so much! I'm glad that you love this story. I am a huge canon lover, so Kitty or Rogue with John just doesn't fit with me. Granted, not all Ryro or Kyro are horrible, but they just aren't my thing. You've seen another Pyro/Bobby's sister story? I haven't, that's why I chose to write this... Oh well, that's okay. I try hard when I write and I am glad that you think that I am talented. Thanks again!

Many thanks to icydragon14, RogueVampire, and Blue Pheonix 217!

(-X-)

The day was dark and cloudy, Kris could tell that a storm was coming. Or maybe Ms. Monroe was just upset. No, that wasn't likely, she was really good about keeping her emotions in check. Kris was glad that it was going to rain, she liked the rain, especially warm summer storms like this one was going to be.

For the past half and hour, Kris had been sitting in seclusion outside of the Institute; she wanted to be alone for a while, there was a lot to think about. For the past two weeks, she and John had been dating and she -and hopefully he- was having a great time. John was a great guy and really sweet, he was just a little rough around the edges.

In her hands and on her lap, Kris held several pictures that she had had in her wallet the day that her powers manifested. One was of Bobby that she took while he was barely alive after he came back from school one summer with a stomach virus; he didn't know that she had taken it or he would have trashed her room until he found it. Another was of her Grandma Maggie, her mother's mother.

Kris had always had a strange relationship with both of her grandmothers. Grandma Maggie was outrageous and loud and not afraid of anything; she often bought Kris different dance, gymnastics, swimming, and boxing classes. She even had offered to buy Kris strip aerobics classes at one point and Kris had almost taken her up on it. It wasn't that she thought that Kris needed what she bought, she just wanted to spend time with her. Grandma Drake, on the other hand, was the driest shrew on the face of the Earth. She was not a fan of her granddaughter and never had been; it was her thinking that daughters were worthless and not fit to do anything productive in life other then reproducing.

Though she had several other pictures that she had planned on musing over, Kris' attention was pulled away when she heard several grunting noises and yelling in the distance. Placing the pictures in her pocket, Kris quietly stalked over to where the noise was coming from and gaped at what she saw. A young girl, probably only 14 or 15, was fighting with a tall and freakishly muscular man. Kris' shock kept her in her place as she looked over the girl. She was tiny and blonde, but flexible and -apparently- very good at kicking a little ass.

The man said something that sounded like it was some form of Eastern European, and the girl responded in the same way. The man was quickly angered, grabbing the girl by the throat and choking her unconscious. Kris was finally able to break her shock, "Hey!" She called, gaining the man's attention, "Let her go."

The man growled and threw the small girl into the base of a tree with such force that Kris head some bones crack. He disappeared in a flash of light before Kris was able to move, so she directed her attention to the girl. She was unconscious and bleeding, not only from where she hit the tree, but also from several deep cuts on her face and arms and even out of her nose.

_'Professor_!' Kris shouted mentally, _'Dr. Gray!'_

_'Kris, please, not so loud.' _Both Professor Xavier and Jean answered back, _'What's wrong?'_

_'You've got to get down to the south side of the grounds. There's a girl here and she's injured...'_

_'One of the student's?' _Professor Xavier asked.

_'No. I've never seen her before.'_

_'I'm on my way.' _Jean replied. Kris was gentle when she touched the girl on the arm. She didn't know if anything was broken or if she had any internal injuries. Just as Kris laid her hand down, a rain drop landed on the girls cheek.

Kris sighed, "Of course... That had to happen now. This is like a bad movie." She mumbled to herself as she looked over the girls face. She was very pretty with delicate features, as if she was one of the designer babies that were so controversial in the news. But that technology was new, not that that was the point.

"Kris?" A voice called, bringing Kris back to Earth, "Oh my..." Jean said as she walked over and saw the small girl, "What happened."

"It's... complicated." Kris said.

(-X-)

Kris was sitting down in the Institutes Medical facilities, watching as Jean gave the girl medical attention. She had been sitting there ever since she and Jean had brought the girl out of the rain. Now Professor Xavier was waiting for Jean to finish was she was doing so that they could talk. Kris hoped that he wouldn't want to talk to her.

"Kris?"

_'Crap!' _Kris thought to herself, "Yes, Professor Xavier?"

Professor Xavier rolled up beside her. He flicked his eyes between her and the girl on the table, then to Jean, then back to Kris, "I was hoping that you could tell me what happened. If you saw anything." Sighing, Kris rested her elbows on her thighs, leaned over, and held her head in her hands, "What's the matter?" Professor Xavier asked with concern.

"I saw what happened." Kris admitted, "And... I froze. She and a freaky looking guy appeared out of nowhere and I didn't do anything until he started choking her. I didn't help her, I just stood there."

"Kris, it isn't your fault."

Kris sighed and rolled her eyes, "Thanks Professor, but it won't help." Kris sighed again and Professor Xavier realized that something had to be wrong. Kris could feel him looking at her expectantly, "Professor..."

Professor Xavier shook his head, "If you don't want to talk about it..."

"It's just that this has happened before." Kris admitted, "Well, not exactly, but... An old friend of mine got roughed up by a group of bullies at school a couple of years ago and I didn't do anything about it. It's all coming back..."

"I understand." Professor Xavier replied.

Kris smiled and nodded, but she couldn't imagine him understanding, "Professor, can I leave now? I have a lot that I have to do." Professor Xavier nodded and Kris hopped up and quickly made her way out of the room. She didn't know where she was going to go, mainly because she really didn't have anything that she had to do, but that turned out to not be a problem.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Kris replied as John stopped her. They leaned over and kissed each other briefly, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for you." John said, "You ran off pretty quickly and I was wondering what was going on."

Shaking her head, Kris replied, "It's nothing really. I just needed some time alone so that I could think. Everyone around here is so... What's the word I'm looking for?... Explosive and noisy that I had to have some quiet time to think."

"That's understandable." John said.

"I'm glad that you think so." Kris replied with a smirk on her face, "Let's go. I've had my time of solitude and now I need noise." John nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist as they set off, looking for everyone else.

Luckily they weren't too hard to find. Bobby, Rogue, Kitty, Peter, and Jubilee were sitting together in the Rec Room playing some kind of question game to keep them occupied as they all seemed to have nothing to do, "Okay, so Bobby..." Jubilee said, "Next question. Has Kris ever been kissed?"

Kris immediately perked up and wriggled away from John to get closer -but stay out of slight- to hear Bobby's answer. Bobby started by snorting in laughter and then replied, "No. Absolutely not."

Upon hearing this answer, Kris snorted in laughter herself and came out of hiding, "Yeah... Somebody is really, _really _behind." She said.

"Excuse me?" Bobby asked as Kris and John entered, "What do you mean?"

Sighing exasperatedly, Kris said, "Bobby, my first kiss... Was when I was 10." Bobby's mouth dropped and Kris nodded, "Yeah. Louie Mills."

"The freaky kid from down the street?" Bobby asked, absolutely appalled.

Nodding, Kris replied, "Yeah, that's the one. He got my shoes out of that huge tree that his dad built his tree house in after Jasmine and Becky threw them as hard as they could, so I laid one on him." The look on Bobby's face showed that he wanted to throw up, "Chill, okay. He's only freaky to you because he's gay." The group looked at Kris with gapes on their faces, "Well, obviously I didn't know at the time."

John started chuckling uncontrollably, but managed to say, "You are amazing."

"Why thank you." Kris replied with a smile on her face.

Kitty looked from John to Kris, back to John, then back to Kris; she then looked over to Jubilee. The two looked at each other for a moment and then nodded, realizing what was going on, "So, are you two dating or something?" Kitty asked.

Kris and John looked at one another while Bobby sat, fearful for what answer they would give, "Gee, John... People around here are really slow. They're just figuring it out now?"

Shrugging his shoulders, John replied, "Meh... I just kind of ignore them all."

"Great idea." Kris said, nodding, "Well, I have stuff to do, so bye."

"But you..." Kitty began.

"Bye." Kris said again. Bobby was still as a statue and when he exploded on her for various things, she didn't want to be in a room full of people; mainly because she knew that her temper, and Bobby's, might get the better of them. That was something that didn't mix well with a lot of people around.

(-X-)

After Kris left the Rec Room, John made his way back to his bedroom. Sure, he shared with Bobby and he would have to deal with him sooner or later, but that didn't bother him. All he wanted now was to get away and do whatever. He was surprised that Bobby didn't immediately follow him and do the whole overprotective older brother shtick, not that he would have been intimidated by Bobby if he had.

To keep himself occupied, John flicked the top of his Zippo lighter open and closed. After a while he lit a flame and started playing with it. As long as nothing caught fire, no one should have a problem. He made a large ball, a snake, and several other things before slowly making a replica of Kris' face. She was just as beautiful made out of fire as she was in real life. John stared at the fire until the door of the room swung open and Bobby stormed in.

As Bobby entered, John made the face dissipate so that he couldn't see it, "Hello Sunshine." John said.

"Kris?" Bobby asked, getting straight to the point, "Of all people? Aren't there enough girls around here? You had to go after my sister?"

"I see there won't be any formalities." John replied.

Bobby sighed, "Don't be a smart ass, John." John shrugged him off. He could tell that that made Bobby even madder then had been, "John, both of us know about your reputation. If Kris is just another meaningless wrung in the ladder, then..."

"Then what?" John asked, standing up, "What are you going to do? We both know that you aren't going to do anything. You're always the one scared of the fight."

"It's different when it comes to my sister." Bobby said, staring John in the eye.

John, however, started laughing, "You really had me there, Bobby." He said, still chuckling, "Good job. You've been practicing on the tough-guy act. Does Rogue like that? She seem like the type." Clenching his jaw, Bobby shot an icy dagger-like glare at John, "What?" He asked, a hint of laughter still in his voice.

Bobby calmed himself down, "John... If you screw around with my sister..."

"Figuratively or literally?" John interrupted.

Chuckling sourly, Bobby replied, "Well you have been known to do both." John snickered and shrugged, "But like I was saying, screw around with Kris then I will have to pull out every overprotective older brother trick. I really care about what happens to her and if I see her hurt..."

"What?" John asked, "Come on, Iceman... Make a move. I'd love to see it." Bobby seethed and John smiled. He knew that he was under Bobby's skin more then he had been and he loved the feeling, "That's what I thought. Nothing." Bobby, not knowing what else to do, stormed back out of the room, "I'm glad we had this conversation." John called to Bobby's retreating back as he closed to the door and resumed playing with fire.


	7. Family Talk

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**-BeeVee-THEEAmazing-** Well, if they haven't updated then I guess I can't feel bad about using this idea. But it's only one person, so the pairing isn't extremely over used. Over used pairings get boring after a while unless a good author can put a good spin on it. But I digress. I don't think I've had a chapter called genius before, so I'm glad that you think so. Kris isn't the type of girl that would care what her brother thinks about most things, that's why she wasn't hesitant about telling him and it's the same with John except he doesn't care about _anything_... Except Kris. If you noticed, the John's line at the end -"Make a move"- was a ode to the third movie and it shows just how much he doesn't care. At least, that's what I thought. Thanks for reviewing!

Many grateful thanks to Blue Phoenix 217, icydragon14, and Niquie! You guys rock!

(-X-)

For the past week, ever since he had found out that John and Kris were dating, Bobby had been moping around angrily. Not only was Rogue starting to get really annoyed, Kris was far passed where Rogue was with the whole situation. At the moment, no one knew where Bobby was and Kris had a suspicious feeling that he was fuming. Bobby never had been one for confrontation.

Kris decided that worrying about Bobby would just make her upset, so she went along with her studies and whatever she wanted to do. That also included daily visits to the Medical facilities underneath the mansion just to check on the young girl that no one knew anything about. Every chance Kris got, she wanted to make sure that the girl was okay. She had managed to get away from everyone -including John- long enough to go see her. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with John, this was just something that she needed to do alone.

Her gentle steps made no noise as she crossed the room towards the bed where the girl lay. Kris gently laid her hand on the small girls and sighed. She was a fighter, that was for sure. She fought and held her own -for a while, anyway- against a huge freak of nature and she was in very good condition from a medical standpoint.

"Well, kid," Kris said, "let's hope that all this luck that you have stays on your side for a while." As she looked the girl over for the millionth time, she continued to be shocked by how little she was. Her face looked about 14 or 15, but she was teeny. Kris always obsessed about needing to gain weight, but this girl had to be around 15 pounds less then Kris, and Kris was only 115 pounds to begin with.

Kris raised her eyes from the girl as a power presence entered the room, "Hello, Professor Xavier." She said without having to look to see who it was.

"You're getting much better at that." Professor Xavier said.

"I try." Kris replied, turning to look at him.

Professor Xavier nodded as he came closer to her, "You've taken a great interest in the wellbeing of this girl." He observed, "Is there any particular reason why?"

Kris sighed, "She wouldn't even be in this position if I hadn't frozen."

"Then you feel guilty." Kris nodded, "Kris, she was lucky that you were there at all. If you hadn't been, who knows how long it would have been before anyone found her. You weren't frozen long enough to not save her."

"Yeah, but..." Kris started, not really knowing how to finish. She sighed and turned back to look at the girl's face, "She seems peaceful. It's hard to believe after what I saw her go through." Thinking for a minute, Kris felt the vibes that the girl was giving off wash over her, "I think she knows that she's safe. If that makes any sense at all."

Professor Xavier nodded, "It does."

"How?" Kris asked in disbelief, "If she's unconscious how does she know that she's safe?"

"That's really very simple." Professor Xavier replied, "You said that she might have seen you before this man, whomever he was, tried to kill her, is that correct?" Kris shrugged but Professor Xavier knew the answer, "Well, if she saw you, I am sure that she saw you as someone who could help her."

"Yeah, because that worked out so well." Kris retorted with an eye roll.

"He left when he saw you, didn't he?" Professor Xavier asked.

Kris sighed, "I suppose."

"Well, then, you helped her." Professor Xavier said. When he spoke, Kris could sense a tone of finality in his voice. Kris sighed again, knowing that she had nothing else to say, and shrugged, "I'm glad that you agree."

Rolling her eyes, Kris returned all of her attention to the girl in front of her. There was a strange sense of familiarity about her, but Kris wasn't sure where it came from. She laid her hand on the girl's again and waited in silence. There was nothing in particular that she was waiting for, she just didn't want to talk and waiting was the only thing that she could do. After several moments of waiting and looking directly at the girl's face, Kris felt a gentle squeeze on her hand.

"What the...?" She whispered, looking at her hand. Just as she felt, the girl's small hand was squeezing her only slightly larger hand, "Hey! She's awake." The girl sat up and released Kris' hand, promptly placing it on her forehead, "Don't sit up too fast." Kris warned as she placed her hand on the girl's back.

"Where am I?" The girl asked. Kris realized that when she spoke her w's sounded like v's. She knew that she must have been right in thinking that she was from somewhere in Eastern Europe.

"You are at my school." Professor Xavier replied, "In Westchester, New York."

The girl took a deep breath and it occurred to Kris that she didn't have anything to call her other then 'the girl', "What's your name, sweetie?" She asked.

She looked at Kris with great interest, as if she hadn't seen someone so caring in a long time. After a few moments, she finally said, "Illyana."

"That's very pretty." Kris replied with a comforting smile. Illyana smiled back, but it was more of an unsure, slightly embarrassed smile, "Do you know how you got here?" Illyana sunk down a little, "Are you a mutant? It's okay if you are, we are too."

"Oh..." Illyana replied, "Yes."

"How did you get here, Illyana?" Professor Xavier asked.

Illyana thought for a moment, "It is hard to explain." She said, "Perhaps I should show you." Professor Xavier nodded and she stood. Taking a deep breath, Illyana closed her eyes and in mere seconds a small disc of the space in front of her rippled, like the air above a hot fire. She stepped into it and disappeared.

Kris felt her eyes practically pop out of her head, "Um... Professor?" Professor Xavier didn't say anything. A few minutes later the small rippled disc returned and Illyana stepped out of it again, "Wow..."

"Thank you." Illyana replied. Silence fell again and she sat back down on the table.

Kris looked at Professor Xavier, hoping that he would say something soon. However, he was busy looking intently at Illyana. Kris could tell that he was doing something, but she couldn't tell what, "Professor?" Kris asked, causing him to look up, "Don't you think that Illyana is awake that we should take her upstairs. Get her something to eat or something?"

"That's a wonderful idea." Professor Xavier replied, "Wouldn't you agree?" He asked Illyana.

She nodded, "I would like that."

Kris smiled and she hopped off of the table. Both girls followed Professor Xavier upstairs. Scott, Jean, and Ororo were just down the hall from them as the got out of the elevator. Professor Xavier introduced Illyana to them, but she merely gave them shy hand shakes, "Professor, if you would like, I'll show her around." Kris replied, remembering how much more interesting and less scary everything seemed with a student showing her around.

"Of course." Professor Xavier replied.

With a nod, Kris gently herded Illyana away, "I hope you don't mind. It just seemed that you would be more comfortable without so many people around."

"Yes, thank you." Illyana replied.

"No problem." Kris said as they walked passed the rec room. She could see Bobby sitting with Rogue, Kitty, Jubilee, and several guys who's faces she couldn't see. Rogue must have pulled him out of his hiding. John was no where in sight, which didn't surprise Kris in the least. John and Bobby had been avoiding each other as much as possible. Bobby had taken to going to bed early so that he and John didn't have to talk to each other.

They walked outside and Kris was in the process of taking her through the gardens when Illyana shouted, "Piotr!" Kris looked up and saw the young man that she knew as 'Peter' -though John had explained that Peter was more of a nickname- look up from the sketchbook that he was drawing in. His eyes widened as Illyana ran toward him. He dropped the sketchbook and caught her as she jumped into his arms. From where she was Kris could see tears falling down Peter's face as they hugged tightly.

"Okay..." Kris said to herself, "I've obviously missed something." Peter released Illyana and the two quickly started talking. At some point, Illyana pointed over to Kris, who waved because she didn't know what else to do. Peter and Illyana walked over to Kris, "Hey, Pete." She said, uncertainly.

"Thank you." He said in reply.

Kris furrowed her eyebrows, "Thank you?" She asked, "For what?"

"For saving my sister." Peter replied with a matter of fact tone in his voice as he pulled Illyana closer to him.

"Sister?" Kris asked.

Illyana nodded, "Yes." She said, hugging him tightly. This made Kris notice how short she was compared to Peter. Illyana's head barely reached his chest, "Several years ago, I was taken while Piotr was here at school. I thought I would have recognized Professor Xavier."

"Oh..." Kris replied, "And one would think that Professor Xavier would have recognized you."

"She has changed." Peter said, "And grown."

Kris nodded, "Well, you should go see Professor X." She said, "You know, tell him the story, call home... Something like that." Illyana nodded up to Peter. Peter agreed and leaned forward, hugging Kris, "Oh... kay." She said.

"Thank you again."

"No problem, Pete." Kris replied as the two walked off. For some reason, Kris found it hard to wrap her mind around what had just happened, "What?" She asked herself as she walked back to her room. There she would be able to think about things and that was what she needed.

Luckily for Kris, she didn't have any unexpected companions on the way back to her room. She really didn't want to talk to anyone who would only want to talk about John or Bobby. Sighing thankfully as she reached her room and opened the door, Kris felt an arm wrap around her waist. She was gently pushed into the room, the door closed behind her, and turned, "Hey gorgeous."

John didn't give her any chance to respond before kissing her. Kris couldn't help but giggle under his kiss before reciprocating. Without really realizing what he was doing, John pushed Kris back onto her bed, continuing to kiss her. Kris, however, was not having that. She turned her head and pushed John off of her, "Okay, that's enough of that."

"What?" John asked. Kris crossed her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes, "Okay, I get it. Too fast, too soon."

"Exactly." Kris replied, "First of all, I'm 16 and you're 18. Technically that makes me jail bait." John shrugged and nodded, "Second of all, just because most girls my age are sluts, don't think that I'm giving it up that easily."

John furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait... You're a virgin?"

"Yeah." Kris replied with a nod. The look on her face told John that she couldn't believe that he had to ask, "And I'm very proud of that. I have never been, nor will I ever be, the type of girl who screws the first guy to compliment my shoes."

John nodded as a light bulb went off in his head, "What about your hair?" He asked. Kris gaped at him, pulled her pillow off of the bed, and swung. John laughed, "It's a joke!"

"Ha ha." Kris said, placing the pillow back down, "Very funny. Hysterical."

John sighed and laughed again as he pulled Kris to her feet, "It was a joke, I promise. You have standards and aren't willing to lower them for anybody. I like that. You're your own person and you don't care what other people think." Kris smiled and motioned for him to continue, "What else can I say other then you are amazing."

"Well, that works." Kris replied.

"I should hope so." John said as he leaned over and kissed her. Kris placed her arms around his neck as he placed his around her waist. The kiss went on for several minute before John pulled back and said, "You are _really_ good at that."

Shrugging, Kris replied, "Well, I like to think so." John smiled, but was unable to suppress a yawn. Kris, slightly taken aback, pulled away and asked, "I'm not boring you, am I?"

"What?" John asked, "Of course not." However, immediately as he said this, another yawn emerged. This time John was able to suppress it better, but Kris could still see it.

Sighing heavily, Kris said, "Again, I ask. I'm not boring you am I?" John could tell that she was starting to get a little upset with him, "What? What's going on?"

"Kris, I'm not bored." John replied, "It's just that Bobby has these little excursions to the kitchen at night for these stupid ice cream binges. He's never exactly quiet when he leaves and he wakes me up. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, that's all." He admitted, "I doubt that I could ever be bored with you." He added, grabbing a hold of her hand and kissing it.

Kris took a deep breath, "Okay. I'm sorry I got so defensive. It wouldn't have been the first time that someone blatantly turned into a jackass because I 'bored them'. That was during my blonde era, though."

"I still can't imagine you blonde." John replied.

"If I ever get a hold of a picture, I'll show you." Kris replied, "And then we can burn it because if I don't get to burn it them I'm going to get a little bit pissed." John chuckled, "What? I hate having to remember what a sap I was. Not that anyone in my family -besides my Grandma Maggie- bothered to contradict what my 'friends' were saying."

John shook his head, "Well, I've come to the conclusion that your family must be full of complete morons because you are a million times better then those jerks."

"Thank you." Kris replied, "By the way, didn't you say that Bobby was having late night ice cream binges?"

"Yeah." John said, nodding, "Why?"

Sighing and shaking her head, Kris replied, "It's something that he use to do when he was a kid. My mom got so mad at him for it because he ate up all the ice cream, didn't get enough sleep, and woke up like 2 hours later needing to burn off the sugar. When she finds out that he's gotten into the habit again, she's going to flip."

"You going to tell her?" John asked.

Kris laughed and ran her hand threw her hair, "Um, let me think about that... Hell no!" She said, "What kind of question is that? If he does it here, then he's getting into a habit and he will do it when he gets back home."

"Oh." John replied, "Don't you mean when you _both_ get back home?"

"Nope." Kris said, shaking her head, "My mom and dad don't know that I'm here. I had to beg Professor X to not call home. I don't know how they would react; they know that I'm a mutant, it was on the news. They haven't exactly been looking for me that hard, have they? They didn't even call Bobby to tell him that they couldn't find me."

"Good point." John replied, "This goes all the way back to my theory that your family if full of morons."

"Well, what can I say? I didn't ask to be born to them." Kris said, "If I had had a choice I would have picked something closer to Park Avenue."

John nodded, "I'm sure a lot of people would have." As Kris shrugged, John's watch beeped. He sighed heavily, clearly irritated, and pressed the button on it to stop the beeping, "I have to go see Mr. Summers about a little disturbance I caused in class today."

"You try to get under his skin, don't you?" Kris asked.

John shrugged, "What can I say? He's too easy of an opportunity to pass up."

"That may be," Kris said, "but if you got in trouble less often then you would be able to spend more time doing more leisurely activities. I have to admit that girls don't really like sharing their boyfriends with detention." John didn't know how to respond, "I'll start thinking that you like Mr. Summers, Ms. Monroe, and Dr. Gray more then me."

John laughed and shook his head, "Trust me, that's not going to happen."

"Well, I should hope not." Kris replied.

"Okay, I will go do whatever he says I have to do, then I will come back and prove to you that I don't want to hang with the teachers more then you." John said.

"I have a way for you to do that." Kris replied, "Don't get detention again."

"Oh... I don't know if I can do that." John said. Kris rolled her eyes and stared at him, "Okay, joking! I'll see you later."

"Bye." Kris said as John opened the door and left. He didn't, however, close it back again. Rolling her eyes again, Kris stalked over to the door and closed it, "He is so weird." She mumbled, knowing that she liked that about him.


	8. Just Get Along

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**-BeeVee-THEEAmazing-** No problem! I'm glad that you agree with me on overused couples (unless they are canon because canon couples are awesome!). I'm glad that the explanation on John and Kris was helpful, I was hoping that it would be. We will see from Bobby soon, so I hope that that will be enjoyable. Thanks!

**Black Amber-** It's okay that you didn't review the last chapter. I've been having some computer and Internet trouble for a while, so I can understand you being away from a computer or being busy. Thanks for reviewing when you could!

Thank you very much to Niquie, icydragon14, and Blue Phoenix 217!

(-X-)

There was absolutely nothing in the world that Bobby could think of that would get him out of the complete nightmare that he was living in. Kris, his baby sister, was dating John, one of the roughest guys that he had ever met. Now, granted, Bobby didn't have anything against John other then he was too much of a bad boy some of the time. Well, to be perfectly honest, most of the time. On top of that, he was far too much trouble for Kris...

Wasn't he?

"Hey!" A voice called, pulling him out of his stupor. Bobby looked back, expecting to see Rogue or Kris, but saw Kitty instead. Bobby smiled, but didn't say anything, "Rogue has been looking everywhere for you. She's starting to think you turned into a vampire or something."

Sighing, Bobby replied, "Yeah, well, I wouldn't be the first in my family."

"Ouch." Kitty said, noticing the bitterness in his voice, "Are we talking about Kris' external appearance or her personality and attitude?" Bobby, not sure he wanted to talk about his sister, stayed quiet, "Oh, come on, Bobby. We're friends and you can talk to me."

Bobby sighed again, "Kris really changed after her first year of high school. She was this nice, quiet kid that never caused any trouble, but that wasn't who she wanted to be apparently. After something happened with her friends, I've never really figured out how, she got much wilder and started defying everything that she was told. I just wish that she finds her happy medium."

"That's very sweet." Kitty replied.

"Thanks, Kitty." Bobby said with a smile, "But she's dating _John_ of all people." He sighed, "He's not going to be good for her, he's too much of a... a... Just not for her."

Kitty shrugged, "Well, maybe. But think of it this way. Would you rather her date a complete jerk who you don't know, or an almost complete jerk who you _do_ know?"

"You have a good point, Kitty, but therein lies another problem. I know John." He sighed, "I know what he's like and I know what he's capable of and, quite frankly, that gets a little scary. I just don't want Kris to invest too much into him and end up getting hurt."

Thinking for a minute, Kitty replied, "But you can't stop her. She's got to make her own mistakes, even if they cost her comfort and happiness." Bobby sighed, "But you can be there for her if it ever happens. Don't be the big brother that tries to run her life, be the big brother that supports her no matter what and is her shoulder to cry on if something ever happens. And, above all, _never _say 'I told you so'."

Chuckling, Bobby replied, "Do I sense some sort of past experience?"

"I'm an only child, Bobby." Kitty said, "You know that."

Bobby shrugged, "You don't have to have an older sibling for something like that to happen." Kitty nodded in agreement, "But thanks, Kitty. You might have a future in family therapy."

"Oh, no." Kitty replied, "I'm okay to be the resident shrink here, but there's too much drama out in the real world that I don't want to have to deal with." Bobby shrugged, "I'll see you later and, remember, Rogue is looking for you."

Bobby waved goodbye as Kitty ran off. He would find Rogue later, but now he needed to find Kris and attempt to make amends. John was probably in detention again, so Bobby knew that he would have some time alone with Kris to talk. Although, Bobby noticed that John had steadily been getting fewer and fewer detentions since starting a relationship with Kris.

It didn't take long for him to find Kris. She was alone, sitting in the kitchen and eating a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. Her back to was to the door, so Bobby was able to enter unnoticed, "Hey." He said

"Hello." Kris replied, not looking at him, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for you." Bobby admitted as he moved into her line of vision.

Looking up from her cereal, Kris said, "Well, here I am. What can I do for you?"

Taking a deep breath, Bobby replied, "I wanted to talk to you about John." Kris gave him a look that told him that she wasn't going to hear anything that he had to say, "Don't look at me like that, Kristine."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Robert?" Kris asked bitterly, using his real name as he had used hers.

"Like you're going to close off everything I have to say." Bobby replied, "You do it all the time, but this time you're going to shut up and listen." Kris' eyes grew as she took another spoonful of cereal and snapped it into her mouth. This side of Bobby was new, "I know John better then you do and all I want to tell you is to be careful."

Kris furrowed her eyebrows, "Huh?" She asked, not sure she was hearing him correctly.

Sighing heavily, Bobby said, "I can't run your life for you. I just wanted to warn you that John can be unpredictable and you need to watch your back. I'm going to support you because you're my baby sister, but I want you to be careful. If you want to date John, whatever. I'm here for you."

"Really?" Kris asked, clearly taken aback.

"I guess." Bobby replied with a shrug.

Kris chuckled and smiled as she leaned over and hugged her brother. As she pulled away, she said, "Thank you." Bobby squirmed anxiously, as if he couldn't believe what he had just done, "You are such a dork." Kris breathed.

"I am not." Bobby replied.

Rolling her eyes, Kris said, "That answer was proof enough, dork." Bobby chuckled sarcastically and lunged at Kris, grabbing her head, and ruffling her hair vigorously. Kris squealed, not in pain, but in surprise. Bobby was becoming more and more startling in his actions and Kris wondered where he would go if he let himself let go of his major inhibitions.

"Am I interrupting something?" An amused voice asked. Kris and Bobby looked up to see John leaning against the doorway, "Oh, and your girlfriend is looking for you." He said to Bobby as he walked up and kissed Kris momentarily on the lips

"I know." Bobby replied with what could have been the voice equivalent of an eye roll, "And don't do that around me." He added as he stalked out of the kitchen, only pausing to swat Kris' shoulder playfully.

As soon as Bobby as out of ear shot, John shot a confused look at Kris, "'Don't do that around me'?" He asked, "That's it? Did I miss something?"

Kris chuckled to herself and replied, "Apparently, Bobby has finally realized that I am mature enough to make my own decisions and _he _has matured enough to allow me to make those decisions."

"Why do I have a feeling that that won't last long?" John replied. Kris slapped John on the shoulder and sighed, "What?" He asked.

"Come on, John.," Kris said, "Bobby's not that bad. Just don't target him, please."

"I would never." John replied in a mock-serious voice that only made Kris sigh heavily and get back to her Fruity Pebbles, "Oh, come on, I was just kidding."

"I know." Kris said as she swallowed her cereal, "But don't. Bobby's my brother, and I really care about him. I don't like being at odds with him and now that we aren't, I want to keep it that way."

"Okay..." John replied unhappily, "I'll be a good boy."

"Thank you." Kris said, kissing him on the cheek. John, however, wasn't satisfied with that. He gently pulled her back to him and kissed her on the lips. When Kris pulled back, she raised her eyebrows, "Oh, is that all you want from me?" She was joking, but very good at hiding it. Panic passed on John's face, causing her to chuckle, "Oh, poor baby."

(-X-)

Elsewhere in the mansion, Bobby finally found Rogue. It was clear from the minute that he came into view that she was upset with him, "Hey." He said, managing to receive a small hug from her.

"Hi." She replied. Rogue had taken a backseat to his brooding and constant worrying about his sister and she was not happy about it. Bobby knew this and he was kind of ashamed of it, "Where have you been?"

"Brooding and being depressed." Bobby admitted, "I'm sorry."

Rogue sighed, "Did you talk to Kris, or are you going to continue to be in hiding?"

"I talked to her." Bobby replied, "And I think I gave her my permission to date John... Not that she needed it anyway, but..." Rogue giggled and raised her eyebrows. Permission was the last thing that anyone would have expected Bobby to give.

"What brought about the change?" Rogue asked.

Bobby thought for a moment. He was sure that Rogue wouldn't mind that Kitty was the reason for his change of view, but he knew that she had been saying the same things that Kitty had and he hadn't listened, "Let's just say that a I've finally figured out that Kris needs a friend just as much as a brother."

Rogue sighed heavily, "You just realized that?" She asked, "Everyone has been saying that for the past month!"

"I know." Bobby grimaced, "I'm sorry. I've already had to have an awkward talk with my sister, don't you think that's punishment enough without having my girlfriend pissed off at me?"

"I'll have to think about that." Rogue replied as she crossed her arms across her chest. Bobby sighed heavily and looked down to his shoes. Rogue smiled, though Bobby couldn't see her. She had learned how hard it was to stay mad at him, particularly when it was clear how genuine he was. Rolling her eyes, Rogue leaned over and hugged him.

Bobby smiled and hugged her back, "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"For the time being." Rogue replied, "Just don't turn into a brooding mess again. You get really annoying and brooding doesn't fit you anyway." Bobby chuckled and nodded in agreement. He had even annoyed himself and he wasn't the brooding kind of guy.

"Thank you." Bobby said, taking her covered hand in his. He had told Kris and John not to kiss in front of him because the sight made him irritated and slightly nauseous, but he knew that that wasn't the only reason. Tucked away in the very back of his mind was a pinch of jealously. Kris had the ability to have physical, skin-to-skin contact with John and he wasn't allowed that same luxury with Rogue. However, Bobby knew that he would have to break an arm or a leg or something if that skin-to-skin contact ever went too far.

But that was beside the point. The point was that Bobby longed for the freedom that Kris had. He had never been jealous of his sister in any sense; they had always been treated the same, or very close to it, and had had the same things. Now that Kris had something that he wanted, he didn't know how to act. If he didn't do anything, Kris would know that something was up. Even before becoming a telepath, she was very keen and observant and she had used that ability to her advantage many times.

Bobby sighed heavily while he thought, "What?" Rogue asked. Bobby snapped back to reality, remembering that Rogue was with him. He played dumb, causing Rogue to ask, "What were you sighing for? You were staring into space."

"Oh, that?" Bobby asked, shaking it off, "It's nothing." Rogue shrugged, just happy to have her boyfriend back. Bobby mentally kicked himself; he'd just straightened things out with Kris and Rogue and he'd almost screwed up again. He would have to be more careful.


	9. Museum Drama

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to icydragon14, Blue Phoenix 217, and Black Amber! You guys rock!

(-X-)

Kris yawned in boredom as the majority of the mansion bustled around her. Everyone was excited because Professor Xavier, Dr. Grey, Mr. Summers, and Ms. Monroe were taking them to some random museum or another. All Kris could think was_ 'I hate museums!' _

It was very true. Kris hated museums with a fiery passion and she had since she was 10 years old. It was yet another product of her need to fit in. Her class had gone on a class field trip to a museum and her 'friends' had gotten her to wander off with them. After about 10 minutes, they ran off while she wasn't looking and made it back to the class. She was found 15 minutes later, crying in a corner on the third floor, by security. She told the teachers that she got lost, so she didn't get in trouble with them, but her parents were a different story. The had grounded her for two weeks for running off, though they didn't know the whole story.

Yawning again, Kris leaned back so that her shoulders were against one arm of the chair she was sitting in while her legs were draped over the other arm. She was going to be bored out of her skull at the museum and there was nothing that she could do to get out of going. As a matter of fact, she'd already tried. Kris moped until she felt hands lay on her shoulders and begin massaging them. She raised her eyebrows, knowing who it was, but didn't complain. That was, until one hand started moving downward towards her chest.

Sighing, Kris grabbed the hand and dropped it away, "I don't think so."

John sighed heavily, "Oh come on!" He whined, much to Kris' amusement, "We've been dating for three and a half months. You've got to give me _some _access..."

Kris chuckled as she sat up, "Pardon?" She asked, "I will give you access when I feel like giving you access. Until then, you can just calm down and stay a while." John sighed heavily and nodded. Kris smirked and sat up, "So... What do you plan on doing during our 'educational excavation' to the outside world?"

"Educational excavation?" John asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was the first thing that came to my mind." Kris replied with a shrug, "So what are you going to do?"

John shrugged back, "I don't know. Museums aren't really my thing." Kris nodded and shuttered, "What happened."

Sighing heavily, Kris replied "I was 10 and I went to a museum and bad stuff happened and I don't want to talk about..."

John was about to ask what she meant by that, but he was interrupted, "Oh please. That was all your fault and you know it." Kris glared at Bobby, who had Rogue shaking her head behind him. He hadn't gotten the whole story so he should keep his mouth shut. That had never been a virtue that Bobby possessed, "You ran off and got lost. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Scoffing, Kris asked, "You know what, wise ass?" Bobby raised his eyebrows in anticipation, "You can bite me. You don't know what happened, so shut the hell up."

Behind Bobby, Rogue tried to suppress a laugh, but didn't manage to. Bobby looked back at her, disbelief etched on his face, "What?" Rogue asked, "She's a spitfire and I like that."

"Me too." John replied. Bobby rolled his eyes and sighed as he walked away. Rogue scoffed and ran off to follow him. John chuckled and began rubbing Kris arm, "Hey, how about when we get to the house of doom," Kris chuckled and raised her eyebrows, "What?" Kris shook her head and motioned for him to continue, "Anyway, how about when we get there, we skive off and have some fun."

Kris chuckled again, "Like what?" John shrugged and raised his eyebrows, "No! Not that kind of fun." John pouted, "I'm immune to that cute, pathetic, innocent bullshit, so just stop all of that now or you might hurt yourself." John chuckled. She was a smart ass and he loved that about her. There was almost nothing that he could get passed her and he wanted to see just how far she could see through people.

"Kris, John." A voice said from the doorway. The two looked up and saw Dr. Grey standing there, "It's time to go." John and Kris sighed and stood. He placed his arm around her waist and the two walked out to meet the rest of the group.

(-X-)

When they arrived at the museum, all of the students were broken up into groups. Each group was given to one of the teachers and they went on their way... At least, most people did. John took his opportunity to pull Kris back while nobody was looking, "Let's go." He whispered, pointing at the food court, "I'm starving."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Kris whispered back kissing him gently on the lips. John attempted to kiss her back, but Kris pulled away and said, "I don't do PDA."

"What?" John asked as they walked over to the food court, "We kiss in public all the time."

Shaking her head and sitting down at a table, Kris said, "No, we don't. We kiss around the institute all the time, that is not the same as kissing in public." John sighed and sat down. He didn't understand her logic and he didn't think that he would ever come to understand it, "Poor baby. He's all confused." John chuckled sarcastically and sat down next to Kris , kissing her gently on the cheek as he did so. He figured that she wouldn't mind a little affection and then they could have more enjoyment back at the institute.

"What are you two doing?" Bobby asked, coming up behind them with Rogue, "We are suppose to be following the group."

"Museums are dull." John replied, "We can have more fun just sitting around." Bobby sighed, "Relax Drake. For once in your life do something that you're told not to do." Bobby didn't know what to do so he sat down. John and Kris chuckled as Rogue rolled her eyes and sat down beside him.

Kris raised her eyebrow, "Wow, he's a regular bad boy." Bobby scowled causing Kris to laugh, "Loser." John nodded in agreement and pulled out his Zippo lighter. He flicked the top off and on several times. Bobby sighed heavily as he did so, "Problem?" Kris asked.

"That's really annoying." Bobby replied.

John and Kris looked at each other and smirked, "Get over it Iceman." John said as he looked to Bobby. Bobby breathed heavily through his nose and shook his head, causing John to laugh. This was mainly because he could see Bobby's breath, as if they were in a meat freezer.

"You're only encouraging him." Kris replied with a smile. John chuckled and nodded before grabbing Kris's hand and kissing it. Bobby rolled his eyes, causing Kris to kick him under the table.

"What was that for?" He asked as he moaned in pain.

"For being a pain in the ass." Kris replied, causing both John and Rogue to chuckle. Bobby shot a disbelieving look at Rogue, who merely shrugged, as John returned to playing with his lighter. It wasn't hard for Kris to believe that Rogue would take her side because it was Rogue herself who knew Bobby almost better then anybody, just as Kris did.

The sound of John's lighter was calming to Kris. It had become such ever since they started spending so much time together. She had gotten use to it and it was a familiar comfort. Most people just found it annoying, but Kris liked it and silently listened to the light metallic click with great pleasure. As she listened, Kris vaguely noticed a boy walk passed her and turn back around to stare at her as he continued walk over to two other boys, clearly friends of his.

The sounds of whispers reached Kris's ears as the boy said something illegible to his friends. Confident, the boy walked over and placed his hand on Kris's shoulder, "Hey, baby," He said, getting a pissed off glare from John and a confused expression from Bobby, "what's up?" Kris raised her eyebrow and stared forward calmly, greatly contrasting her boyfriend. She slowly raised her hand and grasped the boy's wrist. As she moved is hand off of her shoulder, Kris dug her sharp nails into the boy's wrist.

As he moaned in pain, Kris threw his arm from her hand and said, "Don't touch me."

The boy's friends tired to stifle their laughter as they walked over to him, one of them slapping a pack of cigarettes on his palm and opening it, "Holy shit, guys," He mumbled to his friends, "she fucking drew blood!" This comment only made his friends laugh harder.

John, who had a smile on his face, picked up Kris's hand and kissed it. Kris smiled back at him as he began instinctively playing with his Zippo lighter again. One of the boy's friends saw John's lighter as he pulled out a cigarette, "Hey, can I have light?" He asked.

Looking down at his lighter, John clicked it open and said, "No."

"Why are you being such a dick?" The guy asked, quickly being repeated by the other as Kris's admirer tended to his wrist at the next table, "Can I have light?"

John clicked the lighter closed and said, "Sorry, can't help you." Kris chuckled affectionately, only encouraging John. She knew that she shouldn't but everything he did made her laugh, no matter how stupid. The guys chuckled bitterly before the one closest to them, the one without the cigarette, grabbed John's lighter from him.

John stood up quickly and angrily as the guy gave the lighter to his friend and blocked him. Kris wasn't sure how it happened but the next thing she knew, the one with the cigarette was on fire. Bobby and Rogue shot up, Bobby quickly icing the flames, while Kris gaped. Soon the chattering around them stopped and Kris stood, looking around at the motionless museum patrons.

"What did you do?" Kris heard Rogue ask Bobby as she leaned against John and he put his arm around her.

"I didn't do this." Bobby replied. Kris nodded diminutively. She knew that Bobby was good, but he wasn't that good.

"No, I did." Kris cringed immediately. She noticed that John's face was emotionless as Professor Xavier came near them, "And the next time you feel like showing off... Don't." John sighed and held Kris closer, but the Professor's attention was caught by the news on one of the televisions. Apparently a mutant had attacked the president.

"We should leave Professor." Kris heard Mr. Summers say. She agreed, there was not telling what would happen when everyone unfroze.

(-X-)

The second that Kris had gotten back to the Institute, she returned to her room and thought. John had never done anything like that before and, honestly, it scared her a little. She knew that John was angry at those losers, but did he need to go as far as he did? Thinking so much, particularly about guys, gave Kris a headache. It always had.

As Kris laid on her bed, trying to make her headache go away, a knock came on the door, "Yeah?" She asked, knowing that it was either Bobby, John, or Rogue. No one else knew where she had.

"Kris?" John's voice asked back, "Can I come in?"

Sighing, Kris sat up, "Yeah, come on in." John opened the door and shot into her room, like a cockroach fleeing from the light, and closed it, "What can I do for you?" She asked.

"Are you okay?" John asked.

Sighing again, Kris replied, "Not really." John furrowed his eyebrows. He had been expecting her to say that she was perfectly fine or some other bullshit that he could see right through, "What?" She asked at his expression.

"That was just a really blunt answer."

"I can't be blunt?" Kris asked.

John chuckled, thought it was a slightly confused chuckle, "I'm not saying you can't, I just didn't expect you to. But now that we have established that something is wrong, will you talk about it?" Kris sighed heavily, thinking. She did want to talk with John, but then again she didn't, "Come on, Kris."

Running her hand through her hair, Kris said, "You set that kid on fire."

"Oh, that?" John replied, "Babe, it's nothing. He didn't get hurt anyway, I just scared the hell out of him, and he's a jerk."

"I'm not aware of that?" Kris asked bitterly, standing as she did so. She knew he was, but that didn't justify setting him on fire, "The only reason he didn't get hurt is because Bobby put out the fire. He may be the world's biggest douche bag, but that doesn't mean that you should set him on fire."

"What was I going to do?" John asked, getting mad that she wasn't on his side, "Sit there and knit while he takes my stuff and lets his pervert friend hit on my girlfriend?"

Kris scoffed, "I had that under control, in case you missed it. And you could have punched that jerk for all I care, but you set him on fire. Not only did could you have hurt somebody, but you used your powers in a room full of humans."

"So we should have to hide who we are?" John asked in disbelief. He had never know Kris to be one to hide and he wasn't sure where this was coming from now, "Since when do you hide under a rock?"

"I don't and I never said that we should be hiding." Kris said, the anger rising in her voice, "All I said was that it wasn't a good idea to use your power in front of so many humans. Particularly the way that you did. In a perfect world, we could use our powers whenever we wanted to, but the world isn't perfect. People hate us enough as it is, we can't give them any more reasons to."

John let the silence wash over him as Kris dropped back down on her bed. She held her head in her hands and he could practically see that she was getting a migraine, "I'm sorry." He said, not wanting to fight anymore even though he had more to say. If Kris were anyone else, he would have kept arguing until hell froze over, but she was improtant to him.

"Thank you." Kris replied as she stood.

"You okay?" John asked. Kris nodded and hugged him. He hugged her back and swallowed hard, "I don't want to fight with you. Maybe I shouldn't have set that creep on fire, but I did. No changing it."

"I know." Kris replied, "I just don't want you getting into trouble up to your eyeballs." She added as she pulled away slightly and looked at him in the eyes, "I like having you around too much. I don't want to have to start sharing you with Professor X and the other teachers again."

"I'll try to stay on my best behavior." John said, leaning down and kissing Kris. As she kissed him back, Kris heard the distant roaring of a motorcycle, but put it out of her mind for the time being.

* * *

**A/N:** As I'm sure it is clear, we have finally managed to get into the start of the second movie. That being said, I will follow the basic plot line, but somethings are going to be changed around, added, and/or subtracted. I will be using lines from the movie, especially the ones that I like, but the whole story isn't going to be verbatim to the movie. Just a word of warning and I hope you all continue to enjoy. 


	10. Flight to Boston

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**Melody Cullen-** Thank you so much for reviewing as much as you did! I'm glad that you are enjoying Kris so far. It's interesting that you say that Kris reminds you of yourself except for her outspokenness because that's basically her premise. She's kind of like me, except she says what she thinks _all the time. _I'm not a complete door mat, but I'm not as blunt as her as often. I hope that you continue to enjoy and thanks again!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Blue Phoenix 217, Rukie, Black Amber, and Over.And.Over! You all are totally AWESOME!

(-X-)

Kris laid awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She and John had just gotten passed their first major fight mere hours before... Sure, they'd had little squabbles about small, unimportant things, but this was the first time that they'd actually had a reason to fight. She was glad that John had seen her point of view and that he had apologized, but she knew that he didn't agree. That was okay, though; no one was exactly the same.

Arguments, however, were the stuff of relationships. Kris knew that if there weren't arguments in a relationship, then someone is a little too drugged up. Take her parents for instance. They always pretended that they were the cheerful Cleaver's, when all three of their children knew that they waited to argue until no one else was around. Sure, it was polite, but it was also sort of annoying because before they could argue, they were always perky and hyper... But whatever.

Her first real fight with John wasn't the only thing that occupied Kris's thoughts. When she and John left her room, she saw a new face among the crowd of the Institute. Kris asked around as to who he was and, not surprisingly, Kitty was the first to give her a suitable and credible answer. His name was Logan and he had been at the Institute before, but he left about a month before Kris came. Actually, he'd saved Rogue's life and was kind of like a big brother to her.

Sighing heavily, not able to think very well, Kris threw her blankets off of her and stalked out of her room. She hadn't eaten anything since that morning, anyway. Running her hand through her hair, Kris let her feet lead her to the kitchen. Before she entered, Kris stopped. Bobby was in there talking with Logan about Rogue. He was more then likely on one of his ice cream excursions, "Idiot." She mumbled.

Kris didn't have time to say or do anything else before a gruff face appeared in front of her, "Who are you?"

"Holy shit." Kris mumbled again, holding her hand to her chest. She backed around him, into the kitchen, keeping her eyes on him at all times.

"Kris?" Bobby asked.

"Most days." Kris replied, her eyes still on Logan.

Logan eyed her, "Who is she?"

Bobby sighed and, taking a bite of ice cream, replied, "This is my sister, Kris. Sis, this is Logan."

Logan took her appearance in, "You two look nothing alike."

"Thank you." Kris replied smugly.

"And she's a smart ass." Logan noted.

Kris smiled and said, "Well, I do try." Bobby rolled his eyes behind her as he ate, "And by the way, mom will shoot you when she finds out that you have gotten back into that habit." She said, indicating his ice cream. Bobby looked at the ice cream for a second, realizing that she was telling the truth. He, however, didn't care and took another bite, "Act like a tool then."

"I am _not _acting like a tool." Bobby protested.

"If you insist, Princess Mary Sunshine." Kris replied as she pulled a can of carbonated grape juice out of the refrigerator, locked her nails under the rim, and twisted. The top came off cleanly and she poured the juice into a glass. Bobby sighed at his sister and her new found use for her inhumanly sharp nails. She had found not long before that they could be used as can openers and it annoyed him that she did it so often, "What?"

"Why do you do that?" Bobby asked.

Kris rolled her eyes at him as she pulled some frozen strawberries out of the freezer, "Because I can't fit anything in the can." She replied smartly. Logan laughed to himself; he liked her already.

"It does has a pull tab, _Kristine_." Bobby replied. The use of her full first name showed her that he was irritated. She thought that he was just being a moron because, in her mind, he had no reason to be irritated.

"My nails can't fit under the pull tabs, stupid." Kris replied bitterly, "Any other questions?"

Bobby sighed, Kris was way too stubborn for her own good most of the time. It was a trait that she had picked up from their grandmother on their mother's side, Maggie. He loved both his sister and his grandmother but they were so infuriating, "You could get John to do it for you."

"I am not asking my boyfriend to open the can ever time I want carbonated juice." Kris replied, "I'm not helpless."

Logan took the time that the siblings were arguing to get a feel for them both. They were outwardly sarcastic towards each other, but their scents were similar. It wasn't just a familial scent, it was something deeper. _They _were similar. Logan was sure they both of them would dispute that until they were blue in the face but he could get a true feel for people by their scents. Both of them were caring, trusting, and steadfast. They were lovers and fighters, not just one or the other, and they were extremely confident in everything... Except their relationships. When Bobby started talking about Rogue his scent changed, as it did with Kris when she was forced to talk about her boyfriend.

Kris, Logan could tell, let her thoughts and emotions out more freely then Bobby, but the latter was ready to let loose when the occasion called for it. Logan could tell because Bobby's scent had an aroma of stress to it. Stress from keeping all but his good qualities to himself. All the kid had to do was slip up once, to show that he wasn't perfect, and he would be fine... Either slip up or explode, that was, and Logan was sure that Rogue wouldn't want her boyfriend to explode.

Kris, however, had a strange brokenness to her scent. Normally the different fragrances that made up a person's scent flowed together and connected in some individual way. Kris's did not. This confused Logan. He had never encountered someone with a scent like hers before. It was slightly disconcerting and, despite the fact that Logan didn't know Kris, he was worried yet intrigued. Perhaps it was her emotional state, perhaps she was just different. Logan wanted to find out.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the chance.

Just as he was going to interrupt the banter between the siblings, Logan heard a strange noise muffled under Kris and Bobby's argument. It sounded like a silencer on a gun and it was close, "Quiet." Logan ordered gruffly, causing Kris and Bobby to jump. Without another word, Logan turned and looked out the kitchen door, but he jolted around just as quickly and yelled, "Get down!" As they dropped to the ground bullets began flying around them. Kris immediately clutched her hands around her ears to block out the noise as this gun clearly did not have a silencer.

When the bullets stopped, Kris and Bobby chanced a look over the island cabinets that they were hiding behind. Just as they looked over, Logan began a fight with a man in camouflage. Logan promptly stabbed the man in the chest with six metal claws, something that Kitty had failed to mention, and looked back and the siblings, "Are you okay?"

Bobby nodded, but Kris asked, "What the hell kind of question is that?" Bobby shot her a look that told her to keep her mouth shut, but Logan was amused despite their situation.

"How about this, are you hurt?" Logan asked smartly.

"Oh, well no, then." Kris stated, standing up.

"Good. We need to get out of here." Logan replied.

Kris nodded as Bobby stood up, "I agree." Bobby and Kris managed to get out of the kitchen unscathed, despite the mess on the floor, and ran one way while Logan ran another, "Where are we going?" Kris asked.

"There's a way out of the school just in cases like this." Bobby explained as they ran.

"Cases like what?" Kris asked, "What's going on? This hasn't happened before, has it?"

"I don't know and no. But Professor X knew that if anyone found out that this a mutant training facility then they might attack the school. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt so he designated a tunnel to get out of the school. I think it was part of the underground railroad." Bobby explained.

Kris chuckled as they turned another corner, "You should always run when you talk... It makes you sound smarter."

"Thanks, smart ass." Bobby replied sarcastically. Kris merely smiled as they ran into a group of student, John among them, "John! Where's Rogue?"

"I haven't seen her." John replied, looking back at them but still running. Bobby sighed and ran in the direction opposite of everyone else, "Man!" John called, but Bobby didn't listen. Kris sighed heavily, looking back between John and Bobby. John indicated for her to come with him but Kris shook her head and ran after Bobby. He was her brother and Rogue was her friend, she couldn't leave them. John rolled his eyes and ran after Kris. It was _her _that he wasn't going to leave.

They finally found Rogue but kept running. The group of four ran until the reached a window, but it blew up in front of them, prompting them to run again. It became a blur to Kris and she ran passed the many artifacts that Professor Xavier had acquired over the years. The next thing that she remembered was Logan jumping off of the banister into one of the camouflaged men, "Let's go." He said quickly.

The four teenagers nodded and Bobby led them to the exit tunnel. He and John opened it and raced in, quickly followed by Rogue and Kris. Rogue, however, noticed that Logan had not joined them, "Wait! We have to get him."

"We have to what?" Kris asked, "Can't he take care of himself? I mean, with the claws and whatnot."

"You don't understand." Rogue said, "We can't leave him." Kris saw the seriousness and steadfast loyalty in Rogue's eyes. Kitty _had _told Kris that he had saved Rogue's life, after all. She knew that Rogue wasn't the kind of person to leave someone that important to her behind.

"Okay," Kris said, "Then we won't, but what do you plan on us doing because I, for one, don't want to get killed."

Rogue thought for a minute, "Bobby, come with me." She said as she walked back to the tunnel opening.

Bobby left with Rogue and Kris sighed, "At least they'll be the ones to get killed." She mumbled when they were out of earshot.

"And now were all alone." John said.

Kris shook her head and looked over at him, "This is so not the time or place to make sexual innuendos or advances." John shrugged, "But I am tired as hell and I need a pillow, so get over here." John smiled and wrapped his arms around Kris as she leaned against him. He kissed her gently on the forehead, only because he couldn't reach her lips from where she was situated, and leaned against the wall of the tunnel.

"If they die and let those creeps in here and we get killed, I'm going to murder them." John said.

"How the heck would that work out?" Kris asked in amusement.

"I'll come back from the grave, bringing you with me, of course, and then I'd bring them back and then I'd kill them." John replied.

Kris chuckled, "But it's not your power to bring back the dead. Does anyone have that power?"

"Not that I know of but I'd find a way." John replied.

"Because you're just that damn good?" Kris asked.

"Damn right." John said as footsteps ran through the tunnel, "That sure as hell better be them." Rogue and Bobby came into view in the dimly lit tunnel, followed by the large shadow that belonged to Logan.

Kris unlatched from John and said, "Now what do we do?"

"We can get to the garage from here." John said, "That's the fast way out."

"He's right." Bobby said in agreement, momentarily shocking Kris. She didn't expect John and Bobby to agree on anything, but this wasn't the time to dwell. They began running again and Kris couldn't help but notice that Logan kept looking back over his shoulder, as if he wanted to go back and duke it out against a few more military creeps.

When they reached the garage, John went straight for the only blue car in sight. Cyclops's prized car, "I'm driving."

"Hey!" Logan called, "Maybe next time." He added as he opened the car and pushed the seat forward. John sighed and got in the back, followed by Kris, who was followed by Bobby. Rogue and Logan got in the front and Logan drove away as quickly as possible with help from one of his metal claws.

"What the hell was that?" Kris asked as she leaned back into the seat.

"Stryker..." Logan said, "His name is Stryker."

"How do you know him?" Rogue asked.

"I don't remember." Logan admitted hesitantly as Rogue handed something to him. Kris tried to see what it was, but she couldn't.

John leaned forward over Kris into the front, "I hate uncomfortable silences." He said as he fiddled with the radio. The whole groaned as boy band music filled the car and John quickly turned that radio off.

"If that it was Cyclops is listening to then I think we should inform Dr. Grey that her fiancé is gay." Kris said.

"Fiancé?" The car asked as John continued to fiddle around for good music.

Kris sighed, "Not yet, but with the random vibes and thoughts of marriage that have been popping into my head recently, I'm guessing that he's going to ask her soon. Because I know for a fact that they are not my thoughts."

"Yay." Both Bobby and John said in their heads, though Kris caught their thoughts.

John pushed more buttons and said, "I don't think that's a CD player." Logan took whatever it was and groaned in frustration. Kris couldn't see anything because John's backside was blocking the view.

"John?" Kris asked, "Would you be so kind as to get your ass out of my face?" John didn't say anything, he merely began shaking the ass in question in Kris's face. Kris sighed and took a look at her hand. She smiled and clawed John as hard as she could.

"Holy shit!" John yelled, "Mother fucker! Dammit!" John eased back into his seat, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Kris merely smiled, "Are you into that whole S&M thing?" Bobby visibly cringed and stiffened next to his sister, "Tell me now so I can be prepared."

"How about we don't talk about my 16 year old sister and S&M!" Bobby replied bitterly.

"How about you stay out of this conversation." John snapped back.

John and Bobby began arguing with Kris quite literally in the middle, "Here's and idea! Both of you shut the hell up!" Bobby and John quieted as Kris sighed, "So what are we going to do now?" She asked Logan.

"Well, Storm and Jean are in Boston." Logan replied.

Kris internally cringed; that was the last thing she wanted. Bobby, of course, had to plant the kiss of death, "Our parents are in Boston." He said.

"Then we'll head there." Logan replied.

John smiled sympathetically to Kris. He knew how much she did not what to see her parents because seeing them would mean having to confront them on their bullshit. He could practically hear Kris cursing in her head even though she wasn't using her telepathy.

Turning her towards him, John kissed Kris on the lips and silently offered himself as a pillow again. Kris smiled in thanks and said, "Well, I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we get there." With that, she leaned against John, resting her head on his chest, and closed her eyes to gain some much needed sleep.

Bobby rolled his eyes at the sight next to him, "You should all sleep." Logan said stoically as he drove, "I'll wake you when I need directions." Bobby nodded and leaned back, attempting to not disturb his sister. They were all tired and cranky so he didn't want to start anything with her, but why did she have to be so obviously affectionate towards John when he was around? Wasn't that against the rules that he had set? But, then again, did she ever listen to him?

* * *

**A/N: **I know it had been forever since I've put anything up and I'm sorry for it. I have a ton to do for school this semester so I believe that I won't get to update as much as I want. Please forgive my absences. I hope that everyone enjoys what I do manage to put out. THANKS!


	11. Meet the Parents

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**rebabe-** Please don't! I do not enjoy violence, especially when it is directed towards me. I am updating as quickly as my schedule will allow so I hope that is sufficient enough. I'm am, however, glad that you are enjoying the story thus far and I hope you continue to. Thanks!

Thank you icydragon14, Melody Cullen, and Black Amber! All of your reviews keep me going; it's great to know that my hard work is appreciated. I'm sorry that I haven't been updates as frequently as I would like... There is a lot that I have to get done before I graduate and I am trying to fit writing into it. Forgive me and enjoy!

(-X-)

Gentle shaking awakened Kris from her dead exhaustion. It hadn't taken her more then five minutes to fall asleep on John's chest but even her exhaustion couldn't shield her from the memories of the night before. People with guns attacked the mansion; she, Bobby, Rogue, John, and Logan ran for it in Cyclops's car; they were on their way to Boston...

"Shit..." Kris mumbled, realizing that they must already be in Boston if she was being woken up.

"Sorry babe." John whispered in her ears as she opened her eyes... Yup, she was home all right. It looked exactly the same as it had before she became a mutant; they hadn't changed anything in over four months. But, then again, it wasn't like their only daughter missing should change anything... Kris scowled. She may have been the black sheep of the family, but come on! Wasn't she missed at all?

Then again, it wasn't surprising.

Groaning in disgust, Kris latched her arms around John's torso as he gently laid his arm around her shoulders and silently kissed her forehead. Bobby was too far ahead of the group to notice but Logan rolled his eyes as if to say that he didn't need to see affectionate teenagers while Rogue merely smiled as she sped up to reach her boyfriend.

They were at the door before Bobby looked back and saw the position that Kris and John were in. He sighed heavily as he turned back around and unlocked the door. There were just somethings that he didn't need nor want to see. Rogue rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, gently laying a hand on his shoulder to relax him. It worked, but only marginally. Bobby tried to calm himself as he opened the door and entered his house with Rogue behind him.

Shaking her head and glowering at her brother, Kris cursed her horrible luck. First she was home and now she had to deal with Bobby being a pissy little bitch. "Oh... I hate him, I hate him, I hate..." She couldn't finish. If she did then by the time she saw her parents, she would be in a particularly terrible mood... That wasn't what she needed.

"Just relax." John said in a whisper. He didn't want her in a bad mood either, that much was clear. Kris breathed heavily, at least attempting to heed his advice, and walked in the house behind Bobby and Rogue. Logan was the last to enter, closing the door roughly behind him.

"Mom? Dad? Ronnie?" Bobby called, "Anyone home?"

"Clearly not, dipshit." Kris replied.

Bobby clenched his jaw and swallowed down a bitter retort. What the hell was her problem anyway? "Let's go find some clothes," He said as John used his free hand to flick open his Zippo lighter, "And try not to burn anything."

John chuckled as Bobby walked up the stairs. Kris freed one of her hands from around John's torso and ran her hand through her hair, causing it to fall in her face. Inhaling deeply, Kris cringed, "Okay then," She mumbled as she walked up the stairs, "While you all look for clothes, I'm taking a shower."

"I'll come with you." John said smiling, causing Bobby to stop dead.

Chuckling, Kris turned around and walked back down the stairs, "I think not, dear heart. You'll have to survive keeping yourself occupied without me... And really, _don't _burn anything." She leaned down and kissed John momentarily before turning back around and walking up the stairs.

John smiled as he watched her go up the stairs. She was definitely one for keeping her morals straight. Even if he had been joking about joining her in the shower (which he really wasn't) most girls would have accepted in a New York minute. But, he had to admit, most girls he'd gotten with were tramps. Kris was cruel, but in the good way, leading him along like mouse about to get caught in a trap.

"God, she's amazing." John mumbled to himself. He would be the first to admit that he may or may not have a few masochistic tendencies but who cared? With his head in space John didn't realize that Bobby was staring at him with a sour look on his face. The latter clomped loudly on the stairs, causing John to look up, "What, Iceman?"

Bobby didn't say anything, he just threw socks and a pair of shoes down the stairs and directly into John's face, "Here."

"I'm not important enough for actual clothes?" John asked sarcastically.

"You have more clothes on then any of the rest of us." Bobby replied, "But if you insist..." He added, throwing some of Ronnie's old clothes down at him, "Enjoy."

"What the hell is your problem?" John asked, "I know this isn't about Kris and I, so... Wait a minute, I know what's going on." Bobby raised his eyebrows expectantly, "You and Kris have the same problem," John said smugly, "you have to tell your parents that you're a mutant."

"Whatever." Bobby said, picking up another stack of clothes and walking passed John. The latter clearly saw a pair of gloves on top of the pile, so he knew it was for Rogue, "Powder room is too the left!" Bobby called back as John took the clothes and changed.

When John exited the bathroom, he decided that it was time to do a little looking around. Logan was in the kitchen, he could hear him from the hall, so John was sure that he didn't want to go there. He did, however, go into the dining room. There were a lot of pictures lined up on a dresser. Family photos, vacation mementos; that kind of thing.

John's eyes fell on what seemed like the most recent picture. It was a family photo with everyone smiling, even Kris looked happy. John scowled. At least she had her dark brown hair and dark clothes, very much in contrast to her pastel and brightly colored family. John smiled. It was good to know that he could trust Kris to be herself. It wouldn't have surprised him if one of her parents had tried to make her change into some froufrou little outfit. Then she would have looked too much like her mother, the one she clearly got her dark hair from.

He let his eyes wander for a moment. Another picture caught his attention. The date on the corner of the photo showed that it had been taken not two months before Kris came to the Institute. She was sitting with an elderly woman, musing over a thick magazine. It was clear that neither Kris nor the woman knew that the picture was being taken. Due to the pleasantness on their faces he took the elder woman to be Grandma Maggie, the nice grandmother that he had heard so much about, and not Grandma Drake, the evil grandmother. Staring intently at the picture, John realized where Kris's gray eye color came from... It must have skipped over her mother, who had blue eyes.

Tearing himself away from the pictures on the dresser and the wall, John wondered how long it would take for the other Drake's to get home. It would be better to get everything done with then to have to deal with Kris and Bobby being so uncomfortable. Those two had a way of making everyone around them uncomfortable when they were... Maybe it was a family thing.

Shrugging the thought from his mind, John walked up the stairs. He heard water running, so Kris must have still been in the shower, but the bathroom door was open and no one was in there. Furrowing his eyebrows, John moved on towards the sound of the water. It was coming from a room at the end of the hall so he went in, immediately smiling as he did so. Kris's room. The sound of water was coming from a door at the far end of the room. She must have her own bathroom.

Looking around, John noticed that it looked more or less like her room at the Institute looked like. Clean but not perfect, organized but not OCD organized, the bed was made, a large bookshelf on one wall housed not only books but CDs, DVDs, and what looked like a broken cell phone.

Chuckling to himself, John instinctively started looking around. He didn't realize that the sound of water had stopped as he did so. In his usual snooping ways, John opened cabinets, the closet, and Kris's dresser. It wasn't like he was looking for anything in particular, it was just like him to look around. He pulled open a top drawer of Kris's dresser and smiled triumphantly. He'd found it!

"Get OUT of my pantie drawer, John." Kris called from the bathroom, causing John to slam the drawer shut. He turned and saw Kris standing in the doorway of her tiny bathroom. She was fully clothed and drying her hair with a hairdryer, "Didn't anyone ever teach you that it is impolite to looked around a girl's room?"

John shrugged and almost incoherently mumbled, "I don't know, I guess."

Kris laughed as she brushed her dry hair and walked up to him, "You're almost impossible, you know that right?" John smiled and nodded, causing Kris to laugh again. She threw her brush on the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his lips. John more then happily complied, placing his hands in her back pockets and kissing her back.

Neither really brothered thinking about what would happen if Bobby somehow made his way into the room and saw them. They were both content with using their small amount of alone time to its fullest advantage. That was, however, until Kris heard a car coming up the driveway. Much to John's disappointment, she pulled away and looked out her window, "Shit!" She hissed.

"Parents back?" John asked.

"Unfortunately." Kris replied bitterly.

Sighing, John walked up to Kris and kissed her on the cheek, "Better now then later. You can get it over quicker."

Kris grumbled in distaste and sighed, running her hand through her hair, "I suppose."

(-X-)

A mini stand off was going on in the kitchen between three members of the Drake family and Logan. He stood there like a deer in headlights with a beer in his hands while the parents tired to shield their son. Logan wondered momentarily if they would do that for their other children when they found out what they were.

Stomping down the stairs took Logan's eyes off of the Drake's and vise versa. Bobby was quickly standing in between the two parties, "Bobby?" His mother asked, "Aren't you suppose to be at school, honey?"

"Um..." Bobby managed to say, "We have to talk."

"You didn't get kicked out, did you?" Ronnie asked jokingly. Bobby sighed and rolled his eyes, though he had a small smile on his face. He knew that his brother was joking.

"Who is that?" William asked, indicating the large man behind his son.

"Oh..." Bobby said, feeling immediately stupid, "This is... Professor Logan." Logan chuckled slightly under his breath as Bobby's family stared incredulously at them.

Light footsteps came down the stairs, again averting the group's attention. Rogue came down the stairs and Ronnie, seemingly unconsciously, exclaimed, "Damn." Both of his parents quickly smacked him in the back of the head while Bobby picked up and apple and hit him in the shoulder.

"Should we go sit down?" Bobby asked, clearly not wanting to tell his parents what he had to tell them.

"Yes." Madeline said before anyone else could speak. They all walked into the living room quietly. Madeline sat down on a couch next to Bobby while Ronnie was on her other side, Rogue and William sat on chairs next to the couch, and Logan leaned up against a wall, "Dear, before you say anything, we have to tell you something."

"What?" Bobby asked, "What happened?"

Madeline took a deep breath and looked to her husband and younger son. William nodded while Ronnie simply looked away. Madeline returned her gaze to her eldest son and said, "It's about your sister."

"Kris?" Bobby asked in shock.

Madeline looked like she was about to go on, but laughing descending from the stairs made her stop. Kris and John laughed happily, John's arm around Kris's shoulders, "God, you are hot." John said in response to whatever Kris had said to start the laughter.

"Why thank you very much." Kris said with a smile.

Using his arm to steer Kris towards him, John leaned in and kissed her. Her parents and twin stood there stunned, for more then one reason, but Bobby groaned, "What did we say about doing that in front of me?" He stood up and hauled his sister away from her boyfriend, plopping her in a chair facing their father.

"Hi parental units." She said with a sickly sweet tone, "Twin." She added bitterly.

"Kris." Her mother said breathlessly, "What...?" She couldn't get out what she wanted.

"What is right." Bobby broke in, "What's going on?" There was something that his parents weren't telling him and it made him nervous.

Kris sighed, "Well, they already know that I'm a mutant for one thing." Bobby's eyes grew, "The day my powers manifested, I was in the park and it got all over the news. Alex and Lorna took me to the Institute as fast as they could, but it was all over the news anyway. Everyone knew who I was and that I had been taken somewhere... Even our doting parents."

"What?" Bobby asked in shock.

"For all you knew, I could have been taken hostage by some government agency and tested on." Kris said, this time towards her parents, "But you never bothered looking for me. I checked, no missing persons report was filed. And no one ever questioned you because why would you want to look for your freak kid."

"Kris, we love you, but..." William started.

"'But'?" Kris asked incredulously, "But what, dad?" William couldn't find anything to say, so she looked to her mother. Madeline, too, had nothing to say, "I figured just as much."

"You didn't look for her?" Bobby asked, almost breathless, "But she's..." Bobby changed his train of thought, "Mom, dad... I'm a mutant too."

Whatever his parent's had been expecting, it was clearly not this, "Oh my God." Madeline mumbled.

Kris sighed, "Would you like some tea, Mom." Madeline nodded, not sure what else to do. Kris turned into the kitchen and prepared tea while the others in the room sat there in silence. As she returned, Kris said, "We're all mutants." She indicted the group, "Professor X's Institute is a place were mutants can go to learn how to control their abilities." Kris said, trying to give her parents the benefit of the doubt, "So that we don't accidentally hurt anyone or ourselves." Ronnie was now seemingly trying to sink into the couch. He was low with his arm crossed bitterly across his chest. His reaction pissed Kris off to no end, at least he could be an adult about the whole situation.

Madeline took a sip of tea and put the cup and saucer on the table, "So... Bobby, how long have you known your a... a..."

"A mutant?" John finished for her, flicking his Zippo lighter closed.

"Would you cut that out." Madeline asked as Kris stood and walked over to him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Bobby, Ronnie, and their father conspicuously cringed. "You have to understand..." William replied with strain in his voice. "We thought that Bobby was going to a school for the gifted."

"Bobby is gifted." Rogue shot back.

"We know that..." William tired to explain.

Madeline cut in this time, "We still love you. _Both _of you." Kris rolled her eyes, "But it's just that this mutant problem is..."

"What 'mutant problem'?" Logan interrupted, his tone saying exactly how he felt about the situation he was in.

Madeline looked straight at him and finished, "Complicated." Kris noticed that her mother seemed to be doing most of the talking and she wondered why.

"Bobby and Kris are two of the most gifted people that I've ever met. You should see what they can do." Rogue exclaimed.

Madeline sighed and took a sip of her tea. Bobby, in his infinite wisdom, reached over and froze the tea in the glass. She gasped and tipped the frozen tea block onto her plate and stared at her son in shock, "I can do more then that." Madeline couldn't do anything but stare as a gray cat jumped onto the table and began licking the tea block.

"Fluffy..." Kris mumbled, "I wondered where you were, you big furball." She reached over and scratched the cat behind the ears. Though he had been locked in her room and peed all over her carpet (it had taken her nearly 2 hours to clean it all up), Kris harbored no ill feelings towards him. It was her dad's fault, he'd been the one that shut Fluffy in.

"What about you?" Ronnie asked his sister bitterly, pulling her from her musings over the cat. Logan was walking out of the room to answer the phone that he had taken from Cyclops's car when Ronnie added, "What freaky thing can you do?"

"Somebody better check his attitude problem." John said ominously from where he stood. He glowered at the younger boy and flicked his Zippo lighter open a few times.

Kris smiled at him affectionately before turning to her brother. Smiling without showing her teeth, Kris said, "I found out why I was having headaches." Her parents gasped and her brother stiffened when they realized that she hadn't moved her mouth.

"And she can use her fingernails and teeth as can openers." John said smartly, flicking the lighter again.

"You used your teeth?" Bobby asked disapprovingly.

Kris smiled, this time showing her teeth, "Only once. I wanted to see if it would work." With one more look at his sister, Ronnie stomped out of the room and upstairs.

"Ronnie!" Madeline called after him. She sighed, "This is all my fault."

"Actually, they've proven that the male carries and passes on the mutant gene, so it's his fault." John said, indicating her husband. Kris chuckled and swatted his shoulder.

William sighed, "Are you two... together?"

"Would I have kissed him if we weren't, daddy?" Kris asked with a raised eyebrow. William looked down at the floor. With all the information that he had just been thrown, the last thing he needed was his daughter having a boyfriend... Especially one that acted so dangerous and had a fire fetish.

Madeline sighed heavily, as if she was trying to think of something to say. Taking a few deep breathes and glance from her eldest son to her daughter, Madeline finally managed, "Have you tried... Not being a mutant?"

"Oh my GOD!" Kris shrieked, "Mother!"

"Kris, calm down." Bobby mumbled.

"NO!" Kris yelled, pulling away from John, "How on Earth could you ask that mom? Do you think that we chose to be mutants? That this is just something that we turn on and off? It doesn't work that way!"

Madeline looked as if she was going to say something but Logan cut her off, "Come on!"

"What?" Rogue asked worriedly.

"We have to go." Logan replied quickly as he raced towards the front door. Rogue, Bobby, John, and Kris followed without a second look back at Madeline and William.

The four teenagers stopped dead on the porch behind Logan. Cops surrounded them, guns ready for fire, "Put the knives down and get on the ground!" One shouted. Kris furrowed her eyebrows in confusion until she looked down at Logan's hands. His claws were extended, yet Kris hadn't heard him extend them. Logan was trying to reason with the police officer yelling orders at them but again he yelled, "Put the knives down!"

"I can't." Logan stated simply as he raised his hands, "See..."

A gun shot blasted Kris's ears, causing her to yell. Rogue had done the same and she looked down at Logan, who was on the ground with a bullet protruding from his head, as if her brother had been shot, "Down on the ground!" The police yelled again.

All but John complied, "John!" Kris hissed, "Get down!"

John looked down at Kris with a look in his eyes that burned into her. It scared her and he had no idea what John was about to do. He raised that hand that was holding his Zippo lighter, "You know those dangerous mutants you hear about on the news?" He asked as he lit the flame, "I'm the worst one." With that he began throwing fire in every direction. Screams rang in Kris's ears but they were soon masked by explosions. Kris managed to look up at John as he threw fire into the house and the look on his face frightened her. That was _not _the John that she'd fallen for.

As she looked at John, Kris noticed that his face was starting to fall and he was gasping. His skin looked odd as well. Kris soon realized what it was. Rogue was taking his power and his life essence. John fell to the ground as Rogue took his borrowed power to extinguish the fires that he had set. A gasp and the familiar sound of a jet reached Kris's ear as the fires decreased.

"Looks like Storm and Dr. Grey made it after all." Kris mumbled, still shaken, as she stood. Rogue and Bobby stood with her, but John was a few seconds behind them. Kris figured it was from having Rogue use her powers on him. Logan rose as well and the group walked from the porch to the jet as quickly as they could. Logan turned his head, causing cracking noises from his neck, to glare at the police officer that shot him. The officer gasped as Logan was completely healed.

Rogue, John, and Logan got on the jet without another thought, but Kris and Bobby turned back. Ronnie was standing with their parents in his bedroom. They each had a hand on his shoulders in a protective gesture, "They have their golden boy now... That's all they want." Kris bitterly stated.

Bobby wrapped his arms protectively and comfortingly around Kris's shoulders, "We'll deal." He said bluntly as they walked away towards the jet.

* * *

**A/N: **I know that this is very similar to the actual scene in the movie, I did that intentionally. I absolutely adore this particular scene and I didn't want to change much other then adding Kris into the mix. It was a brilliant scene to begin with and I hope that my small changes are enough to well incorperate Kris without ruining the original integrity of the scene.


	12. On The Run

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**Black Amber-** That would suck, having to deal with stupid parents. But don't make too many judgments on William and Madeline yet. They, along with Ronnie, will come back into play later on in the story. What happens then we will just have to wait and see. Thank you very much!

**shariena-** Hey, you rhymed! Great and late! Why I zoned in on that, I have no idea... I'm a loser. But, whatever. I'm really trying to update, but something always seems to get in the way. When I'm working within movies, like this or like I did with Lord of the Rings, I really want to make everything flow perfectly with the movie (or movie _and _book as I did with LOTR) and it doesn't come easily all the time... Plus writer's block is a real bitch! I'm sorry, I'm trying. Thanks for the patience.

Many thanks to Red red red ribbon and Melody Cullen!

(-X-)

No sounds reached Kris's ears as she stared into space. If she had been paying attention, she would have been looking at the back of Logan's unusual hair style, but nothing registered to her. Bitter thoughts raced through her head, those were all that matter. Bobby watched as she unconsciously walked over to the unoccupied chair behind Jean and sat down, still staring and fuming. In the seat behind her was another mutant, noticeable just by his physical being.

The others took their seats as Storm lifted off. Kris heard Logan's voice, but she didn't bother to listen to what he was saying. How in the world could her parents and her brother, her _twin, _do what they did? It made no sense to her. Kris thought on the subject, and was increasingly irritated by it, until the jet began spinning erratically.

"What the hell?" Kris asked, though no one heard her.

The jet leveled and John said, "Please don't do that again." Logan agreed and Kris looked around for a possible reason why Storm would drive like a maniac. Soon after Storm leveled off the jet, an explosion sounded from behind them, but Kris still had no idea what the hell was going on.

Breathing heavily, Kris barely registered Storm's frightened, urging pleas to Jean. Something about 'another one', but Kris wasn't sure. Just seconds later, an explosion reached her ears and a massive jerk lurched her forward, the straps of her chair cutting into her chest and torso painfully. As she struggled for breath, even harder now, Bobby's pained cries reached her ears. She turned as those cries made an impact.

"Oh god." She whispered to herself, unable to speak any louder, as Rogue flew out of the gaping hole that was now in the back of the jet. The mutant behind her stared wide-eyed at the hole for only a nanosecond before it disappeared in a black puff of what looked like smoke and reappeared just as quickly as he had left, Rogue clutching to him belly-to-belly. Bobby and Kris sighed in relief simultaneously.

Panic, though, still enveloped the failing jet. They plummeted towards earth at a speed that Kris was sure was going to kill them all. She heard the mutant beside her mumbling as he gripped Rogue and held her to the floor. She wasn't sure what he was saying, but it seemed vaguely prayer-like. That didn't matter much, however. Kris was still too preoccupied by the green and brown of the ground and trees beneath them that they would surely splatter all over.

Just as Kris closed her eyes and braced herself for impact another lurch sent her forward, causing the straps to yet again cut into her... And it hurt. Death didn't hurt, did it? It wasn't suppose to, Kris thought. With the courage to open her eyes gather, Kris looked around. A man, old with gray hair, and a woman, blue with red hair and completely naked, were standing under the jet. The man was holding out his hand, as if he had something to do with the position of the jet, and muttered to the woman something that Kris could hear.

It was then that Kris decided... No matter how many mutants she met, nothing would cease to amaze her.

(-X-)

Small camps had been put up and the adults had gone off to chat, leaving the students alone with the new mutant that had saved Rogue. Kris had learned that his name was Kurt and that he'd been in the circus. And, she'd been right, he had been muttering a prayer. He was one of those religious types, not that there was anything wrong with that. She learned this about him when she listened in on a conversation that he and Rogue had had. Kris took several minutes to look him over -from a distance- when she'd had the chance. He was blue, that she had already known, but she later noticed that he only had three fingers and toes, sharpened teeth (Kris smiled at this, but subtly), and a tail. The last one seemed very handy.

Kris hadn't looked at him for long, thinking it rude to stare. She walked over to the edge of the clearing that they were stuck in and stared into the darkness of the woods. John's eyes were on her, she could tell without even needing powers. Rogue was now with Bobby, trying -clearly frustrated- to do something that Kris didn't bother listening in on.

Keeping all thoughts but her own out of her head was easy now. It had been exceptionally hard before, especially when she had been trying to sleep, but now it was practically second nature to shut off the voices. That was why when John stalked silently up to her and rested his hand on her shoulder, she jumped.

"Sorry." John said. Kris shook her head and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay." Kris replied, "What's up with them?" John shook his head, as if to say that it was nothing. She rolled her eyes and went back to staring into the dark. For once, John wasn't sure what to say. An uncomfortable silence fell over them and Kris sighed heavily, "Is there something that you want?"

"Well, excuse me." John replied to her snappish tone.

Taking a deep breath, Kris looked at him, "I'm sorry. There's just a lot on my mind right now."

"I know." John said, taking her in his arms and hugging her. Kris reciprocated; she liked this. There were times when she would enter a room and see John acting like... Well, Kris couldn't exactly say what. All she knew is that when they were apart, John was different. Sometimes, across the room, she would see a glint in John's eyes that she didn't recognize. She'd finally put it with an emotion when John set that jerk at the museum on fire. It scared her. John was different when they were together; that was what Kris liked.

As Kris leaned closer to John, she realized that the clothes that he was wearing still smelled vaguely of Ronnie. Or, rather, Ronnie's cologne. No matter how many times Ronnie's clothes were washed, they always smelled of that damn cologne. Kris crinkled her nose at the smell, but didn't let John see her do so.

John's chest raised as he took a deep breath, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Kris replied, "But thanks for asking." She added as she leaned upward and kissed him gently.

Chuckling, John said, "No problem." In that moment, a burst of wind rushed past them. Kris shuttered at the cold and hugged John tighter, "We should get out of here. Rogue and Bobby have a fire set up." Kris nodded, not letting go. The two walked over to Rogue and Bobby, the latter looked straight into the fire as they approached, and sat down.

The circle was quiet, so Kris looked around. The adults were going their separate ways and, oddly enough, Kurt was with them. Kris could have sworn that he hadn't been a part of that group. She shook her head minutely as she looked back around. That didn't sustain her long, "I'm going to walk around." She said, standing.

"Kris..." Bobby started.

"What?" Kris replied in an exasperated voice, "I'm not going to get lost or something." With that she walked away, not allowing anyone to stop her. She knew that John didn't like being left alone, particularly with Rogue and Bobby, but he would just have to live with it.

Kris walked, though she wasn't sure why. The only plan that she'd had was to get away from the fire, she'd been bored. Only when she saw a lone blue figure sitting at the base of a tree did she pay attention, "Hey." She said, causing the figure to look up.

"Oh, hello." He replied shyly in his thick German accent.

Kris walked up to him and asked, "Can I sit down?" A shy nod said yes, "Thanks," Kris replied as she sat down next to him, "And thank you for saving Rouge."

He shook his head, "It was nothing."

Smiling slightly, Kris held out her hand, "And we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Kristine, Kristine Drake. Call me Kris."

Taking her hand lightly and shaking it, he replied, "Kurt, Kurt Wagner."

"It's nice to meet you Kurt." Kris said, with a smile. He stared momentarily, but looked down as if he were embarrassed for staring, "What's wrong?"

"You have fangs." He murmured.

Sighing and nodded, Kris said, "Yeah, I do. I still don't understand why. None of my physical manifestations make any sense in comparison to my powers. But whatever."

Kurt looked at her with amazement in his eyes, "Being a mutant does not bother you?"

Shaking her head, Kris replied, "No, why should it? I'm still the same person, just with a few additions. Fangs, claws, and telepathy doesn't make me any less Kris."

Kurt chuckled lightly, but didn't say anything. He could see the anger and bitterness behind the light hearted banter; behind her soft eyes, a fire burned. She hid her anger well, but Kurt had always been able to read people. It came from years of hiding behind the curtains of the tents at the circus.

The two sat in silence for a moment, not sure where to go with their conversation. She took the time that they had in quiet to notice that he had shapes all over his skin. They looked like scars, but deliberate ones. That was... different. Soon, Kris heard her name being called, "What do they want?" She whispered to herself, "I have go, it was nice to get to meet you properly and thanks again for helping my friend."

"There is no need for thanks." Kurt repeated as Kris stood and walked over in the direction that the calls where coming from. She stalked past the jet -which had been put back together completely by the old mutant, whom she had learned was named Magneto- and several tents. As she passed, Kris stopped quickly and hid behind one of the wheels of the jet. At that moment, the blue female mutant -Kris couldn't remember her name- exited Logan's tent.

Mystique, that was it. Kris could feel Logan's emotions from inside the tent, he wasn't exactly being quiet about it. He was angry and embarrassed and Kris was sure that she didn't want to know why. From what she felt, he was ready to rip the next person he saw to shreds. Kris didn't want that person to be her.

So Kris began walking again. Mystique prepared to open another tent, but turned and looked directly at Kris with a devious and unnerving smile. Kris shot her a glare that would have dropped the blue woman right then and there if looks could kill. Mystique turned back to the tent and entered, Kris could see Magneto in there as well. Something about those two freaked Kris out to no end. She wasn't sure what it was and she didn't intend to find out.

Speeding up, Kris made it to where Bobby, Rogue, and John were attempting to set up tents of their own. Now she knew why she'd been called. Bobby made a motion for her to help out. Kris smiled at the thought of what Bobby would do if John suggested that she sleep in the same tent with him. Rogue clearly had the same idea. A small smirk crept onto her face as she helped Bobby with his tent.

"_Kris?" _Rogue asked in her head.

"_Yeah?" _Kris replied, helping John with another tent and keeping her face as straight as possible.

"_Do you think that John will suggest that you two should share a tent?" _

Kris bit her tongue to stop herself from laughing,_ "I wouldn't put it past him, Rogue. And then Bobby's head would explode. We'd have millions of pieces of Bobby's brain to clean up before we could go to sleep." _

"_Ew." _

"_Oh come on, you know it's true." _Kris replied, rolling her eyes so that only Rogue could see her.

Nodding as little as possible, Rogue replied,_ "Yeah, but the way you put it was really disgusting." _

"_I know." _Kris stated simply and the two girls could no longer contain themselves. It started with a giggle or two, but it quickly progressed. Soon they were laughing so hard that both of them were in pain and leaning up against each other for support, Rogue still maintaining a safe distance from Kris's bare skin.

"What the hell happened to them?" John asked, staring at his girlfriend in confused amusement.

Bobby shook his head, more scared then amused, "I don't know." He said, "I think they've lost their minds."

John nodded in agreement, but was slapped in the shoulder by Kris, "Oh, shut up you two." She said as she and Rogue managed to pull themselves back together. John and Bobby stared at their girlfriend's for a moment but decided against saying anything else and began fixing up the tents again.

The girls smiled to each other one more time before going back to help set up. Every once and a while, a giggle or smirk would slip through, but it would be smothered quickly. Putting up the tents passed by without interruption. Jean only came once after they were finished, to tell them to get some sleep and not stay up too late. The rest of the adults, it seemed, were already in their tents. Logan was, that was a fact, and he was still fuming. Kris was shocked when he had gone from wanting to kill people to cursing as loud as he could. She had to stop for a second to shut off his voice from her head, even though she was so good at it.

Not really wanting to sleep, the teenagers just sat back down next to the fire. Kris was surprised that it hadn't gone out, but then she remembered who she was sitting next to. John smiled at the fire and flicked up his hand, the fire moving along with him. Kris couldn't see any pattern in the fire, so she assumed that John was just playing around and not trying to make anything out of it.

Kris couldn't help but smile. Was it a bad thing that she was in love with a possibly schizophrenic pyromaniac? Yes, she was in love with him. She'd admitted that to herself after his misguided attempt at protecting her honor, or whatever it was that he had claimed was for her. She was a little scared though. The last thing she wanted was to admit her feelings and for him to feel different. Surely that was normal.

Pushing the fear from her head, Kris reached out and wrapped her arm around John's waist. He smiled and placed his free arm around her shoulders. Bobby rolled his eyes across the fire and, though she wanted to say something, Kris merely glared at him.

A few minutes later a rustling in the trees, coming from behind John and Kris, reached the teenagers ears. They all stood and squinted into the trees, debating to themselves whether or not to call for Jean, Logan, or Storm. It was not need, however, as Logan descended upon them from the trees above, claws at the ready, just as they were debating.

"Get down." He ordered in a low, deathly calm rumble. They were too stunned by his quick entrance that they didn't comply. That was until they were pushed to the ground by what felt like a warm rush of air. Kris managed to look up just as Logan was shot into the air, leaves rustling as he hit the top branches of a tree.


	13. Unfortunate Truth

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

Many thanks to Black Amber, rebabe, and LovingBlackParadise!

(-X-)

A loud crack sounded in the darkness and ricocheted off of the trees. Cursing loudly, Logan leaped back into the clearing. More shots of what looked like hot air –somewhat like the air over a hot fire, but with a reddish tint- were aimed at Logan, but he managed to avoid them. How, Kris didn't know; she had to squint to see the shots in the darkness. Growling, Logan lunged at where the shots were coming from, but he was stopped in midair. As he hung helpless in the air, the other occupants of clearing raced from their tents towards the action.

Looking towards the adults, Kris questioned what she was seeing. Neither Jean nor Magneto was holding Logan in the air. Quite the contrary, actually. Jean, along with Storm and Kurt, stared at the scene far to perplexed by what they saw to do much. Magneto and Mystique watched in amusement. That was the only word to describe their expressions, but it felt like more that mere amusement.

In all the action no one had heard the argument taking place in the trees. Now it was unavoidable. Even Logan listened in interest, "You dummy! Since when do we shoot first, ask questions later?"

"I didn't plan to!" A frantic male voice replied to his female counterpart. Kris had to bite her lip to hold in a laugh, she knew those voices, "Weird instincts took over when I saw the guy with claws around the kids."

Alex and Lorna walked through the trees, Lorna holding up her hand towards Logan, "Well, the kids didn't look like they were in trouble, so that's not really much of an excuse dear."

Alex attempted to defend himself again, but Kris cut him off, "Excuse me?" She called, getting Alex's and Lorna's attention, "Lorna, could you put Logan down now?"

"Yeah!" Logan snarled.

"Oh, sorry." Lorna said, releasing her hold on him, which, in turn, made him fall ten feet to the ground. Kris snorted as he landed flat on his face; she had a feeling that Lorna did that on purpose, as retaliation for his tone.

Jean and Storm happily welcomed the newcomers with an embrace as Logan bitterly fumed. Kris stood, excited to see the couple again, but her eyes feel on Magneto without meaning to. He had a smirk on his face that made him look even more conniving and freakishly devious then Kris had though possible. To put it simply, it scared the hell out of her. And Mystique's expression didn't help. She looked to Magneto, her eyebrows raised as if she were impressed. Kris followed their gaze and saw that it landed on Lorna, _"Oh shit." _Kris couldn't help but think, _"What are those two thinking?" _She really would have liked to know, but then again, maybe she didn't want to.

By the time Kris looked away from the frightening duo, Rogue was on her feet and calming Logan as best she could. Bobby and John seemed slightly out of place, not sure of what to do. Kris sighed, they would figure something out for themselves later, and walked over to Lorna and Alex, "Hey." She said with a smile.

"Hey, Kid." Alex replied, wrapping one of his muscular arms around her and squeezing her to his side, "How you been?"

"Good." Kris said, pulling away from Alex and entering Lorna's open arms, "Impressive feat. Sure, it was no fountain, but…" Kris dropped off as Lorna chuckled uncomfortably, "Relax, you did what you had to do."

"Thanks, sweetie." Lorna replied. Kris shook her head as if to say it was nothing. During that time, Bobby somehow managed to find his way over to his sister. Not sure of what to do, he poked her in the back, possibly to get her to give introductions, as he never actually met Lorna and Alex while they were visiting the Institute. He, along with the majority of the students, had only heard about them, "This must be Bobby." Lorna said, not giving a chance for introductions.

"Yup, that's him." Kris stated simply, "Bobby, this is Lorna Dane, you heard about her," Bobby nodded, "And Alex Summers, you heard about him, too." Again, Bobby nodded.

Logan, how was finally calm, looked up at Alex's name, "Summers?" He asked, "As in…?"

"Scott's younger brother." Jean finished, answering without needed Logan to finish.

"Unfortunately." Alex murmured, earning slaps from Jean, Lorna, and Storm. Logan chuckled, clearly amused that someone seemed to be as annoyed by the Boy Scout as he was, "Ow." Alex mouthed, though the word didn't make any noise, as he rubbed the places that he'd been slapped, "Sorry for, erm… You know."

"Sure." Logan replied, not accepting the apology, but not denying it either.

(-X-)

Introductions hadn't taken long. Rogue and John had quickly been brought into the fold by their significant others and Storm pulled a reluctant Kurt into the conversation. Thankfully Magneto and Mystique retreated back to their tent as quickly as they could.

After all the formalities were completed, Jean asked the question that everyone had had on their minds: How the hell did Lorna and Alex find them? Alex sheepishly admitted that he hacked into the GPS on the Blackbird –to which Kris thought, _"The jet has a name?"_- and found their exact coordinates. Before letting them ask why he did that, Alex said that he'd tried to get in contact with Professor X, but couldn't. Then he informed them that the phone lines at the Institute had been cut or disconnected, so he knew something had to be wrong.

"Luckily, or not, you were right." Kris said stoically, "Something is wrong. The Institute was attacked." It took nearly half an hour for the witnesses of the attack to relay the entire story to the newcomers. From there, Jean and Storm took Alex and Lorna to get a tent and fill them in on the plan. Logan was tentative about bringing them on board, but Jean squashed whatever claims he was going to make, informing him that Alex an X-Man too. He had, after all, gotten the same training as they had at the Institute.

"Besides," Storm said, "we really need the help." With that they left. Logan stalked bitterly back to his tent; not that anyone had ever expected anything different.

It didn't take long for everyone to settle in again. John, surprisingly, did _not_ suggest that he and Kris share a tent. He agreed to share with Bobby without complaint, though Kris thought that Logan's and Alex's presence might have something to do with it. John wasn't stupid, he saw how ridiculously close the girls were to those gigantic, scary men. Plus, he was just too damn tired to complain about anything.

Kris fell asleep almost as soon as her head landed on her pillow; that was good. What was bad was the fact that she was constantly waking up. Every time she fell asleep, she would wake up feeling even more exhausted. After the third time, Kris groaned and looked at her watch. 3:02 am. Crap.

"For the love of all that it holy." Kris mumbled, "You hate me, don't you?" She asked, staring upward as if talking to God. Kris was about to lay down again and attempt falling asleep again, but whispered, angry words brought her out of the tent.

As silently as possible, Kris zipped open the tent and followed the sounds, "What the hell do you want from me?" Kris gaped and hid behind a tree as quickly as she watched Lorna and Magneto argue.

"Lorna, my dear, I don't want anything other then to redeem myself." Magneto replied, "I know that I haven't been the ideal…"

"Stop right there," Lorna ordered, "Don't _even _finish that sentence. You never wanted anything to do with me; you left my mother and I for dead!" Kris furrowed her eyebrows, what the hell? "And now all the sudden, you want to redeem yourself? I don't think so!"

Magneto sighed heavily, "I am truly sorry about what happened to your mother. And I do know that your aunt and uncle…"

"Shut up!" Lorna growled, "They are my _parents_. They took care of me, they raised me, they did everything that they could for me. Just because my they aren't my birth parents, that doesn't mean that they aren't my parents. And that's more then _you _can say. You're nothing but a glorified sperm donor."

Eyes wide and choking, Kris could barely comprehend what she'd just heard. It was just plain sick and wrong! There was no way that Magneto was –Kris shuttered- Lorna's father. Lorna was so sweet and charming and Magneto was… Well, the exact opposite.

During Kris's internal rant a lightbulb went off in Lorna's head, "And is it really me you want, or is it my powers?" Magneto's eyes darkened momentarily, but he softened them as best as he could while Lorna went on, "I know how similar my powers are to yours, but I'm not you. Don't tread that line, Erik, I have too much to live for. You will never be able to get to me."

Magneto chuckled at her usage of his real name, but let it slide, "I haven't a clue what you are talking about."

"Don't insult my intelligence." Lorna scowled, "Your battle against humanity is your problem, don't pull me into it. I'm here to help Alex, not you." Magneto shook his head, as if this was all very trivial to him, "Just leave me alone."

"And here I thought that I could reason with you." Magneto mused, "You have a fighting spirit; we could have been an unstoppable family."

Shaking her head, Lorna snarled, "We will never be a family."

Magneto's eyes brightened, "Perhaps if Alex could persuade you." Lorna raised her eyebrows, as if asking if he were crazy. Kris had to agree with Lorna, Alex would never join Magneto, much less persuade Lorna to join him, "I remember him when he was at the Institute. He absolutely loathed authority, but Charles was convinced that he was merely going through a phase. I can offer you both freedom from oppressive authority."

"Leave. Alex. Alone." Lorna threatened. Magneto sighed and walked away, as if shrugging off her rejections and threats. For some reason, though, Kris had the feeling that he was doing all but shrugging them off.

Kris watched Magneto's retreating back until he was back in his tent. Lorna was still standing where she had been, but now she was leaning against a tree. The looking on her face was of clear distress as she attempted with all her might to stop herself from crying.

"Lorna?" Kris asked, stepping from behind her tree.

Gasping and jumping, Lorna looked at Kris in shock, "Kris?" She asked, "How long have you been there?"

Unsure of how to answer, Kris squirmed slightly, "Um… From what the hell do you want from me." Honestly is, after all, the best policy.

Shaking with ragged breath, Lorna approached Kris and painfully gripped the young girl's shoulders. As Kris gasped in pain and astonishment, Lorna whispered, "Kris, please. Please, please, please. Don't tell Alex. I can't let him know. He knows Magneto too well. What would he think of me if he knew?"

Kris grimaced, "You're hurting me."

Gasping at her actions, Lorna relaxed her grip on Kris's shoulders, "I'm sorry." She brought her hands to her face and sighed, "I… Oh my god. If I'd known that he was going to be here, I never would have come with Alex." She looked back to Kris, "Please forget everything you heard."

"Um, I don't think I can do that." Kris admitted to Lorna's distress, "That's pretty much ingrained in my brain now."

"Understandable." Lorna murmured.

Hoping that wasn't going to be putting her foot in her mouth, Kris said, "I'm sure that Alex would understand. He loves you, he knows you. Just because Magneto's your…" Kris groaned to herself, she just couldn't make herself say it, "I'm sure the situation wouldn't change how you look in his eyes."

Shaking her head, Lorna replied, "Don't tell him. That freak of nature isn't my father, no matter what he says, so it doesn't concern Alex."

"Don't you think that you're going to have to tell him eventually?" Kris asked. Lorna shook her head, still clearly worried about what Alex's reactions would be if he ever found out. Sighing, Kris wrapped her arms around Lorna and hugged her, "You need to sleep."

Nodding, Lorna pulled out of Kris's embrace and walked somberly back to her tent. It was as if she was being forced to walk the plank. Kris had no idea how she felt right now. She was about to lie down next to the man that she loved, but the man that she was lying to. But it was suppose to be to protect their relationship. Now Kris had a headache.

"Please let me sleep." Kris mumbled to the sky as she shuffled back to her tent. Quietly entering, as not to wake Rogue, she slid back beneath her blankets and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep. Not surprising to Kris, the first thing she saw when she closed her eyes was Magneto's smirk from when Lorna and Alex arrived. Then Kris saw the pain that enveloped Lorna when the older woman had begged her to not tell Alex. Magneto was like a plague that she couldn't get away from.

Sighing, Kris looked to her watch. 3:27 am, "Damn it!"


	14. Alkali Lake

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**LovingBlackParadise-** I can tell that you like Jean and, honestly, I like her too. She went total badass during the third movie; that was awesome. I have plenty of plans for the third movie and I will change some things around but the story will essentially be the same, even though I thought the first two movies were better. The third was still good, but I still don't understand why Piotr wasn't Russian. Anyway, I think I might have a sequel to this, but nothing is definite. Thanks!

Thank you Ratdogtwo!

**A/N:** This chapter flips around a lot, point of view wise. This is to keep everything interesting and so that everyone outside of the story knows what happening when it is happening. If I didn't do this, then this story would get really confusing for a while. I hope everyone enjoys it!

(-X-)

The night had gone by far too slow. Kris didn't get back to sleep after her talk with Lorna; she was way too freaked out. Magneto's attempt at shrugging off rejection was well acted, but Kris wasn't a telepath for nothing. She could tell that there was something going on with him. Professor Xavier had said that such an instinct came from empathic abilities that sometimes can come along with telepathy or even appear on their own. When he first brought up the subject, Kris had groaned. She already had telepathy and super endurance, how much else did she need? But now Kris thought it might be a good thing; she couldn't get into Magneto's head, not that she'd tried, but she could possibly work out his feelings. Granted, Kris wasn't very good. Her supposed empathy (which she wasn't even sure she had- perhaps Professor X was looking far too far into her abilities) had only come about recently during a session with Professor Xavier.

The morning went by quickly, the eclectic group exiting the clearing less than an hour after waking up. The speed only made Kris even more exhausted. The second she stepped foot on the jet, Kris sat down and fell into a state of semi-consciousness. She didn't really comprehend were everyone else settled, except for John. He had somehow managed to end up very close to Magneto; too close. That was unsettling, but she couldn't will herself to say anything about it.

Kris could see and hear, but she didn't understand anything that she was seeing or hearing. Nothing made much sense to her. It was as if she were opening her eyes underwater, blurry and indistinct. She felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder, so she turned her head to look. Alex's worried face looked at her own, but he left after a moment. Someone must have called to him. It didn't matter; all Kris wanted was to go to sleep until they got to wherever they were going.

She closed her eyes for only a second before the images started, flashing painfully passed her eyes. She could hardly make them out, they were passing to fast. She gasped almost inaudibly in pain and shock, thoroughly confused about what was going on.

No one else realized that anything was happening to Kris. They were all too wrapped up in their conversations, even John. Alex argued slightly with Lorna, "I'm just really worried about her." He said, glancing over and watching her shift slightly and furrow her brow, as if she were confused by something.

"She's just tired." Lorna replied, "She'll be fine. Everyone had a rough night last night, don't worry." Alex sighed. He knew that he should listen, but he couldn't. Something told him that worrying was exactly the right thing to do. Not just for Kris, either, but for everyone. The situation that he'd found himself in was not what he'd expected.

All conversations ceased and silence fell over the occupants of the jet. Several moments passed and suddenly the silence was broken. Kris, who had not been aware of the silence, jumped from her seat and screamed in pain. John jumped up and he and Bobby simultaneously tried to lunge for her. This only succeeded in the two knocking heads and falling to the ground. Alex jumped over the boys, wrapped his large arms around Kris, and held her close to him. After several minutes, Kris stopped flailing and went limp against Alex's chest.

Everyone watched cautiously as Alex picked her up and sat down, cradling her as if she were a baby. Everyone, that was, except for Magneto and Mystique. Lorna saw the look in their eyes; she knew that they saw something that they liked. Shooting a warning glance their way, Lorna shook her head, silently telling them "don't even think about it." Magneto played dumb as Alex assured everyone that Kris was okay and they hesitantly went back to what they had been doing. John, Bobby, Rogue, and Lorna scampered over to him, looks of worry still plastered onto their faces.

"You call this 'just tired'?" Alex asked his girlfriend as he stared at the unconscious young girl in his arms.

"Maybe I was wrong." Lorna quipped, not appreciating his tone. John, Rogue, and Bobby crowded around closer. John reached out his hand and swept her hair from her face, caressing her cheek as he did so. Bobby was too freaked out by his sister's outburst to even notice John's actions, much less to protest to them. Rogue reached out and took Kris's arm, which was hanging limp by her side, and placed it gently on the latter girl's torso, "She'll be fine, I'm sure." Lorna added, trying to stay positive.

"Krissy's a fighter." John murmured; this Bobby noticed. If Kris had been conscious, she would have killed John for calling her Krissy. If he knew anything about her, then he'd know that and respect it. "Krissy" was what she went by until that fateful day that her friends had turned on her. Those friends had said was it girly enough, but not a total mouthful like Kristine was. They had vetoed plain "Kris" immediately. Definitely _not_ girly enough, they'd said. Bobby thought he should probably tell John, but he really didn't want to. Let the little pain learn it for himself.

(-X-)

By the time that Kris had woken up, a plan had been made. It was essentially this: Storm the bad guy's hide out –an abandoned military base at Alkali Lake- and hope we don't get killed. Kris didn't like that plan. It had way too many risks for her. She knew, of course, that she would be stuck in the jet with John, her brother, and Rogue, so she wasn't in any immediate danger, but people she cared about were. Alex and Lorna, Storm, Dr. Gray… Hell, she even liked Logan enough to worry about him. But Professor X, her fellow students, and most likely Scott were already in danger and needed help.

"Crap." Kris murmured as the jet landed and the adults exited. This included Magneto and Mystique. She trusted them with the lives of her loved ones even less then whatever-his-name-was that attacked the Institute… Stryker, that was it. She curled herself so that her chin rested on her knees and sighed.

John walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead, "Hey." He said.

"Hi." Kris whispered.

"You feeling okay?" Kris shook her head and John sat down next to her, "It's okay." He added as he wrapped her arm around her, "You gave us a scare."

Chuckling lightly and bitterly, Kris replied, "I don't even really remember what happened. All I remember is the pain and waking up." John stiffened but didn't say anything. She really wished she could know what was going on inside his head, but she didn't want to intrude. Sometimes she felt that John was keeping things from her; things he knew she wouldn't go fishing for, "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." John replied, "Just wondering what's going on in there. Damn, I wish we could get in on the action."

"Get in on the action?" Kris asked, "John, we're kids. They have way more training than we do."

"Not Logan."

Scoffing, Kris replied, "Yeah, well he's Logan. Who knows what he did before he came to the institute. We could get killed John. This isn't about action, it's about our lives." John wanted to retort, but he couldn't. Kris's ideals and his were way different and they both held steadfast beside them. John also knew that Kris wouldn't give up and he didn't want her getting pissy, so he let it go for the moment.

In the silence, Kris thought. She didn't have a clue what was going on inside the old base, but she had a terrible feeling that it wasn't good. Lorna and Alex crossed her mind. What if something happened to them? What if something happened to Alex and Lorna regretted not telling him the truth about her strange situation? What if…

The "what if's" ran through her head, each of them more terrible than the one before. She hugged herself closer as John's grip loosened. Eventually he let go of her completely and stalked over to another part of the jet. Kris bit her lip and closed her eyes as she tried to concentrate on someone's thoughts. Anyone's at all. She _needed_ to know what was happening. It didn't work out as well as she hoped. It was like she was trying to listen to a radio that couldn't keep its signal.

(-X-)

Meanwhile, on the inside, the group had split up. Logan was on his own, Storm and Kurt had gone off to find the students, Jean was alone with Magneto and Mystique in search of Professor X, and Alex and Lorna were off hoping to find Scott. No one was exactly comfortable with the situation, particularly with Jean being alone with Magneto and Mystique. But that wasn't what any of them could think about. They all had separate parts of the mission that needed attention.

Magneto and Mystique, however, had their own plan. Their particular plan had been in motion from the beginning, ever since Magneto had broken out of jail. They walked quickly, side by side, through one of the main corridors of the dam. Jean was slightly behind them. Magneto mused momentarily. The X-men were all so worried about him that she refused to walk in front of him. She probably figured that he would try to harm her. But he had no intention of doing that.

His musing reached an abrupt halt as he felt himself being flung forward. Turning, he saw, to his delight, Cyclops attacking them. He was under Stryker's control. Jean yelled at them to go, "Come my dear." Magneto said to Mystique, "This is one lover's quarrel that we have no business in." Mystique concurred and the two scampered away as quickly as possible.

They ran towards the area that the overview of the dam said housed the makeshift Cerebro, but were soon stopped again. The sound of fighting reached their ears and they hid behind large stone partitions. Magneto watched as several commandos fought against Alex and Lorna. The commandos were soon unconscious, but more came, brandishing guns. Magneto raised his hand, lifted several large tubes of metal from the ground, and threw them. They hit Lorna and Alex squarely in their heads and knocked them unconscious.

"You missed." Mystique quipped.

"No I didn't." Magneto replied in all seriousness. Mystique gave him a questioning glance as he stepped out from behind his partition, flung the commandos back using what ever metal that they had on their clothes, and used their own guns to shoot them. Mystique followed, still confused, as Magneto flattened one of the metal tubes and placed Lorna on it.

"Oh." Mystique said, "We're taking her."

"I believe it is my fatherly right."

"She doesn't see you as her father."

Magneto chuckled demonically, "She will." Mystique raised one of her eyebrows in anticipation, but Magneto merely added, "Later my dear. All in good time." Mystique nodded as she and Magneto raced off, Lorna's limp frame following behind.

(-X-)

Silence had enveloped the jet for nearly the whole time that the adults had been gone. John was stewing by himself, Rogue and Bobby were sitting next to each other in silence, and Kris still had her chin on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. The silence was a lot for all of them to handle, but John caved first, "Forget this Kids Table shit, I'm going in there." He growled as he stood and pulled on a very thin jacket.

"They told us to stay." Rogue argued.

"You always do what you're told?" John asked, preparing to leave.

"John?" Kris questioned in a weak voice, practically pleading with him to stay. John looked to her, hesitated for a moment, turned, and left, "John!" Kris called, stronger this time. He didn't listen. Sighing, she released her legs and raced off after him. Bobby tried to stop her, but she weaved passed him as if he were a small child, "John!" He had managed to get pretty far in a short amount of time, but she caught up to him, "Wait." She said as she stepped in front of him and held onto his arms, "Please wait."

"For what?"

Taking a deep breath, Kris replied, "Think about this. I don't want you to get hurt."

John was prepared to argue this time. He wanted in on the action. Kris may have thought of them as kids, but he was legally an adult and capable of making his own decisions. But, just as he was about to go on a wild tangent, a thought hit him, "Run away with me." He said.

"Whoa, wait." Kris replied, not fully comprehending what he had said, "What?"

John looked her in the eyes, frenzied excitement burned through his eyes, "Run away with me. I love you, Kris. I know that we haven't been together long, but I love you. We don't have to fight; we don't have to deal with this shit anymore. We can just go off together."

"Where would we go?" Kris asked, "What would we do for money?"

Thinking for a minute, John replied, "I don't know where we'd go. Where ever we wanted to. Just think of a place, anywhere you've ever wanted to go, and we'll go. And don't worry about money, I've got it covered." Kris raised her eyebrows, not liking the sound of that, "What?"

"John, this is crazy. I'm 16." She said, her voice cracking, "I can't run off with someone at 16. Come on, let's just go back to the jet."

"Kris, think about it." John pressed on, "No one to tell us what to do, no one to tell us how to act. Just us, together." He grabbed Kris's bare hands and warmed them between his, "Don't you want us to be together?"

"Of course I do." Kris replied, "But we can't just run off into the Canadian wilderness."

"Why not?" John asked, "Now is as good a time as any."

Kris attempted to protest again, but before she could John leaned down and kissed her feverishly. This act did exactly what it was suppose to. Kris stopped protesting and began kissing John back. She knew this was what he wanted, for her to not argue. She wondered momentarily if John really thought that this kiss would get her to say yes.

There wasn't a chance to test his theory. Just as their kiss broke, a searing pain ripped through both of their heads. The sheer force of the pain forced them to the ground; their legs not able to hold them up. Both thought that they were dying and instinctively wrapped their arms around one another. If they were to die, at least they were dying in the arms of the other. Kris felt tears drip down her face as she called out in pain and John was trying to whisper words of encouragement to her while trying to suppress his own screams of pain.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The pain ceased swiftly, leaving the two holding each other on the frozen ground. The only noises that they could hear were the sounds of each others' breath and the wind howling through the mountains. After a moment, they relaxed their grips on each other and sat up. John stroked Kris's face and asked, "Are you all right?"

"I don't know." She answered in utter shock. She had felt the pain, it had been real; devastatingly real. But it had left so quickly, as if it had been a figment of her imagination.

"Kris." John replied, suddenly serious again, "It's now or never."

Cringing that the subject had once again returned to this, Kris replied, "John, I can't." John stared at her, shocked, "Please, let's just go back."

"Kris I don't belong there." John said.

"Yes, you do." Kris argued, "Please." John stayed silent. He looked around at the snow and trees and mountains before looking back to Kris. With nothing left to lose, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, turned from her, and began walking, "Where are you going?" Kris asked, realizing that he was leaving, "John, don't! Come back!" He didn't heed her and she began crying. There was no way she could follow him, but she didn't want to lose him. So there she stood, crying, as her heart was being ripped to shreds. It was like an angry, half starved tiger had been let loose in her chest.

(-X-)

Underground, Scott had finally come to his senses, injuring Jean in the process. He held her arm around his shoulders and helped her limp towards where he knew the exit was. As they ran, the couple came across what looked like a war zone. Several soldiers were lying against the wall, shot to death. Others were unconscious, but still alive. One body registered with them.

"Alex." Jean whispered as she and Scott raced over to him as quickly as possible, "Alex? Alex, can you hear me?" Alex began to move slightly and Scott breathed a sigh of relief. He and Alex rarely got along, but they were still brothers.

"Lorna." Alex whispered as he steadily gained consciousness.

"Alex?" Scott asked, "Are you okay?"

Alex looked to Jean and Scott, thought for mere seconds, and replied, "Yeah, I think so. Where's Lorna?" He looked around wildly, "Lorna?" He called out in worry. No response met him, "Where… What…" He whispered to himself, looking to his brother.

"We haven't seen her." Scott admitted, "Come on, we have to go." He added, trying to pull Alex to his feet.

"No, I have to find her."

"Alex," Jean interrupted, "you're not going to find her here. We need to go and we'll look for her while we search for everyone else." Alex agreed and they quickly fled the area. They found Storm and Kurt, the Professor, and the students but no Lorna. Alex began to panic and the whole of the group found themselves trying to calm him. After what seemed like hours of searching, they were forced to tell Alex that they had to give up and evacuate.

"No." Alex growled, bitterly and stubbornly, "I am _not_ leaving the love of my life behind."

Storm sighed, "Alex we've searched everywhere. We checked the surveillance tapes. She's not here. She probably got out while Magneto was messing with the magnetism on the surveillance equipment."

Shaking his head, Alex replied, "That doesn't make sense. She wouldn't have left."

"Alex." Scott said in his best understanding-yet-authoritative voice, "We have to go." Alex's breath shuttered. He was torn on what to do. They needed to evacuate, but he so desperately wanted to find her. He thought for a moment and her face came into his head. He knew what she would want. She would want for him to protect the children and get them out as safely and quickly as possible.

Taking another shuttering breath, Alex replied, "Fine, let's get outta here." Scott nodded and clapped his brother on the shoulder encouragingly. He had no idea how terrible Alex was feeling and he didn't want to.

The large group ran down the corridor towards the exit. Excitement built as they reached the large room that the X-men had entered through. The students screamed and cheered as they raced towards the door. It finally seemed that they were safe… Until the door slammed shut. Calling out in shock, horror, and frustration, it was only where panted breathing could be heard did they turn and see Wolverine, his claws in the control for the door, "I wouldn't go that way." He said in a way that made them step away from the door. Clearly something bad was that way.

(-X-)

After standing cold in the snow for several minutes, Kris finally made a decision. She ran off in John's direction, calling his name as loud as she could. She didn't want him to leave; she wanted him to come back to the Institute with her where they could forget about all that nonsense of them running away. They had friends and family at the Institute, she just had to remind him of that.

The whirling of helicopter propeller sounded and became louder as Kris ran farther, "John?" She called in a panic. Soon, Kris found herself in a clearing, looking up at a helicopter taking off into the sky. She gasped at what she saw. Inside John was sitting behind Magneto and Mystique, next to something large wrapped completely in a blanket; he'd made a decision that he couldn't take back. John looked down and saw her, halted Magneto's assent, and waved for her to come with them. Gaping with tears streaming down her face, Kris shook her head and backed away. John's heartbroken expression made her turn and run as quickly as possible back to the jet. He had seen the look on her face as she declined. It was like she was looking at a monster.

Kris worked as quickly as possible to get his face out of her head. She couldn't believe him! Of all the things to do, he did _that_! Crying and gasping, Kris fell to the ground. She loved him, he loved her, but that didn't change his decision. She wouldn't run off to be with him, so he joined _Magneto_. Of all the people, it had to be the insane human-hater? Kris continued to kneel in the snow and cried until her knees went numb. At that point, voices reached her ears and she stood, running in their direction.

Faster then she'd expected, Kris found herself at the jet. People were filing in; they were safe. Kris breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the jet inconspicuously behind Storm and Kurt. Rouge asked about John, tears stung Kris's eyes. Logan restated her question and Jean gave them the answer.

"Let him do what he wants." Kris growled, taking a seat, "He's a big boy, he can make his own decisions." The whole of the jet could tell that something was wrong. Clearly Kris didn't like his choice, not that that wasn't understandable.

"_I'm sorry, Kris." _Bobby thought.

Sighing and wiping a tear from her cheek, Kris replied, _"Are you really? You're not going to tell me "I told you so" or something?" _

Shaking his head, Bobby said, _"No. You're my baby sister and I love you. If you need to talk, or need a shoulder to cry, I'm here. I'm a good listener and I have two capable shoulders." _

Kris stared at him for a moment, _"Are you serious?" _Bobby nodded as little as possible, _"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"_ Bobby chuckled, but kept it to himself, _"Thanks." _

"_You're welcome, baby sis." _Bobby replied. It was only then that they realized the commotion around them. Kris gasped in horror as the jet was lifting off the ground and outside the window stood Jean, clearly the one lifting the jet up. Wait, why wasn't the jet raising on its own? What had happened?

Kris tried to communicate telepathically with Jean, but the elder woman wasn't responding. She looked to her brother for answers, but he had none. Scott was flailing around like a madman, trying to somehow get to Jean. Kurt couldn't help, Kris couldn't help, but the Professor helped. Or rather, Jean spoke to Scott through the Professor.

Kris didn't hear what was said, as her mind had become intertwined with Jean's on a different level then the Professor's, "She's trying to save us. She's sacrificing herself." Kris mumbled almost to the point of slurring, though no one heard her anyway. Jean continued her one sided conversation with Kris's mind, not allowing Kris to speak. She sent Kris a warning about Magneto. He had liked what he saw when Kris's powers took her over; he wanted her on his team, _"Be careful." _Jean's motherly voice said with concern and conviction, _"What ever he tries, fight it. Fight it with everything you have. Show him who really has the power; show him that it isn't himself."_

With tears filling her eyes, Kris agreed and Jean's voice instantaneously left her head. The jet was in motion, Alkali Lake was once more calm under them, and Jean was gone. Scott audibly sobbed in the background as Alex tried to console him, though the latter was still dealing with his own grief which was now magnified tenfold. He'd lost the love of his life and one of his best friends. This thought in Alex's mind made Kris realize that Lorna wasn't there and her tears began dripping down even faster than before. Logan attempted to stay as emotionless as possible, but he couldn't.

Everyone was crying, everyone was depressed. As the jet flew along, Kris felt a massive migraine pushing itself to the very corners of her brain. Perhaps the Professor had been right. Maybe she did have sensitivity to emotion. What ever it was, she wished she didn't have it. Her emotions were strong enough, she didn't want to deal with everyone else's.

Turning in her chair, she looked at Alex and Scott. She had something in common with both of them. They'd lost the women they loved and she'd lost the boy that she loved. It wasn't fair… But at least Lorna and Jean were gone for a good cause; John was gone because he was a stupid, selfish prick. Another tear dripped out of her eye and landed on her shirt, directly over her heart.


	15. Trouble

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

Thanks again Ratdogtwo!

(-X-)

The mood of the Institute had understandably been somber. Rarely anyone spoke over hushed whispers for the first couple of weeks after the events of Alkali Lake. Steadily, however, the voices became louder and the students and staff were getting back to their normal routine. They all missed Jean, of course, but they didn't let her death dictate their lives. Most of the students saw John as a traitor and, on the occasion that they did speak about him, they had nothing good to say.

The only people who seemingly hadn't begun moving on were Kris, Scott, and Alex. They often spent their time holed up in their rooms, not wishing to speak to anyone. The students left Alex and Scott alone, offering a comforting smile or glance when either of them left their room only for the necessities such as a bathroom, but Kris was a different story. Whenever she was around they would hiss out something bad about John, just loud enough for her to hear, or call her out on her feelings for him. The one thing they constantly would say was "MOVE ON!" so Kris kept to herself in her room. Because they rarely saw her, her "friends" –led, for some strange reason, by Jubilee- had begun mental attacks on her, attempting to use her telepathy to get their message across, so Kris blocked them.

A knock came on Kris's bedroom door, "Come in Bobby." She replied. Bobby, Rogue, and Kitty were the only three that she could trust not to say anything rude or hurtful and she could always tell when it was one of them coming to talk to her. Pete and Illyana felt that it wasn't their place to say anything, so they didn't. Kris appreciated that.

Bobby opened the door, quickly entered, and closed it behind him, "Happy birthday." He said with a smile, "I brought you something." He added, holding out a small box. Kris furrowed her eyebrows. It was really her birthday? She was actually 17? When had that happened? Bobby raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to take it?"

Sighing, Kris smiled and reached out to grab the box. She pulled off the paper –the comics section of the newspaper- and opened the box, gasping. Bobby smiled as she pulled out his gift, an absolutely gorgeous silver and ruby necklace. It was small, almost a choker, and amazing, "Thanks." Kris breathed.

"You're welcome." Bobby replied walking around so that he was behind her. He took the necklace from her and put it around her neck. When it was secure, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and asked, "How are you holding up?"

"Fucking fabulous." Kris murmured. Bobby sighed. Kris had never been one to overuse certain curse words, so he knew something was wrong.

"Have they been trying it again?" Bobby asked. He knew that she would know what he meant. Kris nodded, "I told them not to. It's not your fault to John left and it's not your fault that you need to take some time to get over what he did. Take as much time as you need and don't let them get to you."

A small "thank you" left Kris's mouth as she thought, "Hey, why is Jubilee such a bitch to me anyway? I mean, I could tell that she wasn't super excited to meet me and everything, but she's just mean now."

Sighing, Bobby thought for a moment, questioning whether or not he wanted to answer. He decided that it would be best, "Jubilee is… Complicated. She takes everything to extremes. She's had the hugest crush on John ever since she got here. He never felt the same way and it was always obvious. He never led her on or even let on that he knew about her crush, but he knew. Jubilee was always a source of annoyance, so he kept away from her as much as possible. I think she took it really badly when you started going out with him."

Kris rolled her eyes, "Great. Just like back home, except with mutant powers." Bobby laughed once, "But why, if she liked him so much, is she saying such horrible stuff about him."

"Partly to go along with the crowd," Bobby replied after a moment's thought, "and partly to make herself look better. If she can cover up how she fells for him and make people think that it was just a crush that she's over now, then she'll do it. But I think it's mostly to hurt you. I think that she thinks that if John had been her boyfriend that he wouldn't have left."

"Right, because that would have worked out really well." Kris said, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

Bobby sighed and hugged his sister tightly, "Everything will work out fine." He said, "I'm here for you, just remembering that." Kris nodded and Bobby kissed her cheek, "Hey, Rogue and I are going out for dinner, do you want to come?"

Shaking her head, Kris replied, "Why would I want to go on a date with you and your girlfriend? I'd ruin the mood. Besides I don't really feel up to going out right now. Maybe later."

"Okay." Bobby said, not pushing the subject though he really wanted her to get out of her room, "Take care of yourself."

"I will." Kris replied. Bobby nodded and left. Sighing to herself, Kris fell back onto her pillow. It was her birthday, a day she'd planned on spending with John. He had even said that he was planning an amazing gift for her, even though she'd stressed that that was unnecessary. After several minutes of wallowing on her bed, Kris got a sudden urge for a carbonated juice from down in the kitchen. Groaning, she got up and stalked out of her room.

The institute was almost empty. The students who had families to go home to were on Spring Break and those that didn't were spending their days either in the City or outside the Institute. This made Kris happy; with everything that had been going on, she liked the quiet. She made it to the kitchen and procured her juice without any obstacles. She drank it quickly, using the pull tab to open it. She'd learned during her first week back how to open cans the normal way again; her nails weren't as big a hindrance as she thought they were.

She threw her can into the recycling and prayed that her trip back to her room would be as easy as had been. With her prayer repeating in her head, Kris turned and walked back. Unfortunately, luck was not on Kris's side, "Hey Kris." Jubilee said condescendingly.

"Go to hell." Kris mumbled so that Jubilee couldn't hear her.

Jubilee continued, "Where are you going? To drive someone else away from the Institute and into the hands of a lunatic?" Kris gritted her teeth. Jubilee would have never said any of that around people. Bobby was right, she was just angry that Kris had been the object of John's affections and that he'd left. If anyone had known that, they'd probably see her for the fake that she was.

"Is that why you hate me?" Kris asked dangerously, "Because you think that I drove John away?" Jubilee's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Kris to say anything back, "For your information, Ms. Perfect, I didn't do anything. It was _his_ choice to leave; he made it, not me. And I'm sorry that he didn't like you as much as you liked him, but that's no reason to be a total bitch to me."

"Excuse me?" Jubilee questioned, panicked, "I never liked him."

Kris chuckled unconvinced, "Oh please." Jubilee, angry that she'd been called out, lunged at Kris and knocked her to the ground, "Hey, get off of me!" Kris called, pushing Jubilee back as the latter girl clawed at her face. Kris didn't want to hurt Jubilee, but she would if she had to.

"You stupid, annoying…" Jubilee huffed, trailing off into incoherent slurs and continuing her attack. Not sure what else to do, Kris swiped her claws at Jubilee, catching her in the upper arm. Jubilee called out in pain and, accidentally or not, used her powers and shot off her 'fireworks' into Kris's face.

Kris's cry of pain and shock got the attention of the occupant of the room about ten feet from them, "Jubilee!"

"Mr. Summers." Jubilee replied in shock, "I… I…"

"Jubilee, you know that we don't use out powers like that around here." He said as sternly as he could while Kris wiped at her face. She hadn't been burned, which was good. She glowered at Jubilee, who was standing there like a child found with its hand in the cookie jar, "Apologize. Now."

Jubilee sighed heavily, looked to Kris and mumbled, "Sorry." Then she pointed out her bleeding arm, "What about this? Are you going to make her apologize to?"

Kris didn't wait, "Sorry about that." It was clear that she wasn't. She wanted so much to say something along the lines of "don't start a fight that you can't finish" but she didn't want to add anymore stress onto Scott. The only reason that he'd come out of hiding in the first place was because someone, namely her, had been hurt and he wanted to make sure that they were okay.

Jubilee huffed away to get a bandage and Kris finally stood, "Sorry to bother you." She mumbled.

"Don't be." Scott replied, his voice devoid of any emotion but pain, "She started it. I heard that whole thing." He turned to walk back to his room and Kris followed, "Can I help you?"

Kris thought for a minute, "I don't know if it will make you feel any better, but…" She thought for a moment so that she could word her thoughts correctly. She didn't want him feeling any worse, "Dr. Gray died…" Scott cringed, "doing what she thought was for the greater good. If she hadn't sacrificed herself, then we'd all be dead. It was her choice; no one else could have made it for her. She's gone because she was thinking about everyone else. John's gone because he was thinking about himself."

"And at least you know what happened to her." Another voice said, adding into the conversation, "I don't know what happened to Lorna." Alex trudged up to them. He'd probably come out of his room just to use the bathroom or something, "She could have been captured and now they're experimenting on her. She could have been killed. I can't help but think about all the horrible things that could have happened to her."

Scott shuttered. He knew both Kris and Alex had important points, but it didn't help. He still felt an emptiness in him that he'd never felt before. The weight of what they had said fell on his shoulders like an anvil. He collapsed against his brother's large chest in a fit of tears. Alex, though slightly shocked by what had happened, held his brother close and cried with him. He practically carried Scott back to his room and motioned for Kris to follow. For hours the three talked and, throughout it all, they cried for the ones they loved.

(-X-)

John felt terrible. Not about his decision to leave the X-men, of course. He had no regrets about that except for one. Kris. If she'd just caught up to him before he'd gotten in the helicopter, then perhaps he could have persuaded her to come with him. Magneto wasn't the bad guy, he was just like Professor Xavier but with a more realistic view of the problem. Despite Kris's refusal to run away with him and despite the look on her face when she saw him in the helicopter, John loved her and it killed him to be so far from her.

Magneto and Mystique had seen the sadness in their young ward and had questioned him about it. He admitted the problem, but assured them that it wouldn't affect anything that he did for them and their cause. Magneto understood, saying, "Women are amazing creatures. They make you fall in love with them without even trying. Do you think she felt the same love for you as you did for her?"

"Yes." John had replied, "I know she did."

"Would she join us, given the proper persuasion?" Magneto asked, remembering the day at Alkali Lake. Her powers seemed useful, a telepath no doubt. She hadn't joined them then, but perhaps the timing just wasn't right.

"I don't know." John replied, "Kris is hard to read. Her morals wouldn't allow her to, but she knows that Professor X is too much of an idealist. She's not stupid." Magneto had thanked him for sharing his feelings and left, a plot forming in his head as he did so.

The next day, John had thought he was seeing things when Kris sauntered into his room at the crappy hotel that he and Mystique had been hiding out in. He was speechless as she pushed him on his bed and leaned down to kiss him. Then, when he realized that the kiss was all wrong, he sighed, "Mystique, stop it." He pushed her up, "I need _her_, not a cheap imitation. No offense."

Sighing, Mystique morphed back into her usual form, replied, "None taken." and left. After that, Magneto moved them to a sophisticated hideout in the mountains. It looked like a lair that could have come from a James Bond film or something. John couldn't help but be impressed. He asked why they hadn't been here before and Magneto had replied that there had been a few minor changes that he had had to make before John and Mystique could join him there but those changes had been made so John should make himself comfortable.

Several nights after John's move, Magneto began the second phase of his plan. After John fell asleep, Magneto carefully made his way to the small town at the bottom of the mountain and waited in the same crappy hotel that John had occupied. Mystique, who had left the day before, returned with a very confused looking man with her. The man was small and round, somewhat like a child's teddy bear, and clearly scared. His whole body shook and his dark hair fell limp over his face.

"Hello Mario." Magneto said, causing the man to flinch, "It's been a while."

"Not long enough." Mario replied, a thick Italian accent lacing his words, "What do ya want, Erik? I already paid you back for the last time you helped me."

Magneto sighed, "I require your assistance."

"You mean you need my power." Mario replied, "What'cha gonna do if I don't help, huh? Threaten my family again?"

"And here I thought we were past all of this." Magneto sighed.

Mario scoffed, his anger overriding his fear, "Past it? You held a knife to my sleeping wife's throat. I told you before, no more after I paid you back. What do you need me for anyway? You're not into changing people's minds; that's Professor X's deal."

"Please sit." Magneto replied, indicating the bed. Mario did so hesitantly, "I have two people that need persuading. You have a gift in doing so. Your ability to change memories and suppress inhibitions is exactly what I need now."

"Who?" Mario asked simply.

Magneto smiled, "My daughter Lorna, for one. Our relationship is somewhat broken and she is not willing to give me a chance to mend it."

"Translation: She has good powers that are useful to your cause." Mario replied, all traces of fear gone. Magneto's eyes raised, "Come on, Erik. You wouldn't give two shits about her if she couldn't give you something."

Magneto merely continued, "The second is a young mutant by the name of Kristine Drake. She is a student at Charles's school."

"You want me to kidnap one of Professor X's students?" Mario asked incredulously, "That's beggin' to get caught. There's no way I'd get out of there with her, much less get to change her memories."

"That is why Mystique will get her." With that Mystique bowed out of the room, "She will bring the girl out here and you will release her inhibitions. Then I will take you to my daughter and you will change her memories. We will be happy in those memories; a family."

"You're more desperate then I thought." Mario stated, "I'll do it, fine, but don't think that you can keep getting at me like this. I ain't got anything for you to take from me anymore. My wife died last year, cancer. We never had the chance to have any kids, which now I think might be a good thing. I'll change your daughter and the girl from Xavier's, but that's it." Mario knew that Magneto wouldn't care about his wife's death, he just needed to prove to the older man that he couldn't be threatened anymore. Bribed, yes; but threatened, absolutely not.

Magneto reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of cash, "This should tide you over, old friend."

Mario took the cash, "You know that this is the same as always, right? I can't guarantee if my changes will stick. Sometimes something will pull them out of it." Magneto sighed heavily, "Yeah, you always hated that part. I ain't got much to live for, Erik. If they're pulled out, I know you'll be angry. You might even kill me. But death ain't so bad. No more after this. If you ever come back, I'll refuse to help. Even if you do get your psycho girl to knock me unconscious and bring me to you again, I ain't helpin'. I don't care what you do to me."

"Is that so?"

Nodding, Mario replied, "It is. So I guess I better start spending this cash. Who knows when you'll get angry again."

"You'll be able to start spending your money when you finish the job." Magneto replied, standing, "For now, make yourself comfortable. This room is paid for the night. Tomorrow Mystique will bring the girl and you can do your job on her and Lorna. There is a bus from here to Toronto at noon and from there I'm sure you'll find a way back to New York City."

"Question," Mario said, "Why the hell d'ya bring me here? Westchester ain't thirty minutes from my place in the City. You could'a just brought her to me."

"It isn't her that we are worried about." Magneto replied, "Lorna would have been difficult. We've had to keep her detained."

"You kidnapped her?" Mario asked, "Shouldn't surprise me."

Magneto ignored his interruption, "It would have been too difficult to have you change the girl and come here for Lorna." Mario sighed heavily, knowing that Magneto would not go farther into his plan, "Good night Mario." Magneto said as he left.

Once Magneto was gone, Mario laid down on the bed and sighed. He'd been a horrible person, not worthy of the love that his late wife had given him in their short few years of marriage. How he'd even fallen down his particular path, he'd never know. Perhaps it would be some type of poetic justice if Magneto were to kill him. Rolling over, Mario placed his rolled up wad of money in the dresser by the bed. All he was living for was money. His wife had always said that that was no way to live. She was right.


	16. Kidnapped

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**Black Amber-** Welcome back! It's okay that you haven't reviewed; I just hope that you're enjoying the story thus far and lack of enjoyment isn't the reason behind your lack of reviewing. Anyway, something will happen with Scott, but I won't say whether or not he will die. We will just have to wait and see. Thanks!

Thank you Ratdogtwo and x-Whizzified-Magic-x!

(-X-)

After their initial talk-and-cry-fest, Scott begged Kris and Alex to leave him alone. He told them that he didn't want to talk anymore. Not sure of what else to do for him, they complied. Kris followed Alex to his room, where they played five or six games of War with the cards that Lorna had bought for Alex for Poker. According to Alex, he was the Poker Champ. Kris had rolled her eyes, going along with him.

The next day, Kris had every intention of going back to Alex's room and kicking his butt at Poker, but Bobby and Rogue requested that she go with them to the City. Kris obeyed, but wandered away from them as quickly as possible; telling them that she wanted to get a book from a bookstore and that she might take a while, "Just meet me back here." Kris said as they exited the restaurant where they ate breakfast. Bobby and Rogue agreed, too happy that she'd actually joined them to begin with to argue.

Kris found the bookstore she was looking for; it was a small, independently family owned store that she'd fallen in love with during a trip to the city on a day that John had had detention. Entering the bookstore, Kris smiled at the elderly lady behind the counter making coffee and other drinks, "Hi Coral."

"Hello, Little One." Coral replied, pulling a pitcher of mango iced tea out of the small refrigerator behind the counter, "The usual?"

"Please." Kris said. Coral nodded and poured the tea into a tall glass. She placed the tea back in the refrigerator and pulled out bottles of skim milk and sugar water. After adding those to the tea and placing them back into the refrigerator, Coral handed Kris the tea and a square of baklava. Kris paid her and asked, "Been busy lately?"

"No, my dear." Coral said, "Not really. I would much prefer that large chain store down the street be closed down, they have a terrible section for such a well known store, but we can't have everything." She sighed and quickly changed the subject, "Can I help you find anything today, or do you know what you want?"

Thinking, Kris replied, "No, I think I can manage." Coral nodded as Kris turned and walked towards the Victorian Novels section. Of course she'd been lying when she told Bobby and Rogue that she'd _needed_ to find a book. It was merely the only excuse that she could think of. Both her brother and Rogue knew how preoccupied Kris could get when it came to certain books. However, it meant that Kris would have to procure a book; not that she minded.

Scanning the shelves, Kris sipped her tea. Familiar names of famous novels flickered past her eyes. She didn't really notice them. Shaking her head, Kris found a table and sat down. She ate her baklava in silence and carefully cleaned her hands afterwards; she didn't want to get any of the books sticky, after all. Why Coral even chose to sell baklava around a bunch of books, Kris didn't understand.

Standing again, Kris walked back to the shelves and found a book. _Jane Eyre _by Charlotte Bronte. It was one of the few famous Victorian novels that Kris didn't own, "This'll work."

Sipping her tea, Kris stalked to the front counter and placed the book next to the cash register, "Is this all, dear?"

"That's it." Kris replied as Coral rung up the book and Kris paid her, "Thanks."

"No problem, sweetheart." Coral said, "Are you alone today?" Kris nodded, "That's dangerous; wandering around the city alone at your age." Kris sighed, "Just be careful getting back to wherever you're going."

"Sure Coral." Kris replied, placing the book and her wallet in the small tote bag that she was carrying over her shoulder, "Thanks again. Bye."

"Goodbye, dear."

Kris stalked out onto the street and sighed. That hadn't taken nearly as long as it should have, but her mind just wasn't on books. Readjusting the strap of her tote bag, Kris walked. She would just have to find something to do until it was time to meet up with Rogue and Bobby. It was New York City, for crying out loud! There was always something to do.

Soon, Kris found herself at a small, nearly empty, grocery store. She thought for a moment. She had only had a bagel for breakfast and the baklava at Coral's store. In truth, Kris was very hungry, but she had little luck actually getting things down. In the middle of eating, she felt like she had to throw up and, thus, her appetite went away. Concluding that she could probably keep and apple down, Kris went inside and wandered down the aisles.

Three aisles away from the produce, Kris heard something fall behind her. She turned and saw a box of Kraft Mac n' Cheese on the ground, "Ohhhh… Kay." Kris mumbled, picking up the box and placing it back where it went. Standing up straight, Kris turned and gasped, "Holy shit!"

Mystique, in all her blue and naked glory, was standing in front of Kris, smirking, "Hello." She said, twisting Kris around and placing a cloth over her face. It smelled and Kris squirmed to get away from it, but Mystique had her in a vice grip and she soon lost consciousness.

(-X-)

An unconscious Kris was laid out on a cot. Mario squirmed with remorse and disgust with himself. He had heard Mystique speaking with Magneto earlier; the woman claiming that her job was much easier then she'd thought it would be. Kris had been alone in the city and she'd walked into smaller venues with little means of security. Mario had had a strong urge to vomit.

Taking a deep breath and praying that this wouldn't end terribly, Mario placed his hands on either side of Kris's head, the center of his palms in line with her temples, and began his work. He looked through her memories at light speed, chuckling at the few of the funny ones. Magneto wanted this girl to have her memories, so he didn't attempt to change any of them. He searched for a moment and found her morals and inhibitions. He worked diligently to suppress them, though not so suppressed that she would gladly kill someone. He didn't want to create a monster.

Mario could feel Mystique and Magneto watching him on the many security cameras that the elder man had placed throughout his lair. Shuttering, Mario went back to his work. This girl, he mused, had an intense mental strength about her. Her telepathy was very advanced for such a young girl and she had two other powers controlled entirely by her brain. Her strength would have been a problem for him years ago, but little slowed him down nowadays.

It took nearly an hour to complete his task, but complete it Mario did. Sighing, Mario mumbled that he was sorry and left the room. After her severe mental overhaul, Mario figured that Kris would wake an hour or so. She would be fully refreshed, as if she'd had a good night's sleep, and she would remember everything. Her past was the same so she'd know everything she'd known then, including her morals and inhibitions. Those just wouldn't matter to her anymore.

Magneto met Mario outside of the room with a smile on his face. Mario merely shook his head and rolled his eyes. Magneto thought nothing of it, merely walking in the opposite direction with the intention of Mario following him. And fallow Mario did. He knew that Magneto was taking him to whatever prison the elder man had his daughter in. Something in Mario's gut told him that if he changed the girl to go along with Magneto's cause, then she'd be an even bigger danger than her father. A voice in his head that sounded like his late wife told him not to do it.

"Here we are." Magneto said, indicating a door. Mario jerked at the sound of Magneto's voice, as he had not been paying attention, "She is in there, unconscious as the Drake girl was. She will give you no trouble. Just do your job and leave. I'm sure you know the way out." With that, Magneto left.

Mario shuttered and opened the door. He gasped at what he saw. A plastic prison, like the one that he had heard Magneto had been placed in, encompassed the center of the room. Was this some kind of cruel irony? Had Magneto wanted his daughter to feel the pain that he had? Mario shuttered again and pressed the red button on the panel next to the door of the prison and went inside; the door slammed behind him and made him jump.

In the prison, on a cot, laid a woman. She looked so beautiful and peaceful in her sleep that Mario could hardly believe she was Magneto's daughter. Her green hair merely added to her exotic beauty. Mario cringed and walked over to her cot, sighing heavily. His brain worked feverishly to find an answer to his dilemma. In the end, he only found one and he didn't like it.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, "But I can't let Magneto use you. I hope one day you can forgive me for what I'm about to put you through. Once Magneto finds out what I'm doing, he'll kill me. But my life isn't important anymore. Just know that I can't think of anything else to do."

Preparing himself for a major task, Mario stretched out his back and hands. They would be tired after his job was done. Making memories and erasing others took much, much longer then suppression of inhibitions because every minute detail had to be in place or it wasn't much of a memory. Making the memories flow together was just as difficult. He would be out of that damned cave until noon. He would have to run to catch the bus to Toronto.

Taking a deep breath, Mario placed his hands around Lorna's head as he had Kris and began working. He looked around her memories and found just what he needed. The last several years of her memories were dominated by one face. Alex. Mario cringed as he began doing what was needed. One of her most recent memories was a marriage proposal. Lorna hadn't had a chance to accept yet, but she had been planning to. This Mario changed. She'd accepted and she was exuberantly planning her wedding. Mario took her memories of the events at Alkali Lake and changed them. One night Lorna and Alex began arguing over the wedding. In a fit of rage, Lorna inadvertently used her powers on several steak knives in their kitchen. One pierced Alex's chest, directly where his heart was. He died in Lorna's arms. She'd unintentionally killed him.

Groaning, Mario finished her new life. She was insane with grief at what she had done. Magneto took her from a mental facility and attempted to use the rage she had against herself for killing Alex as a part of his plan. Lorna still detested him. Mario knew that when she woke up, she'd be as insane as he'd made her. She would probably sit around and stare into space, going into rage-fuelled tangents whenever she saw Magneto. She would blame him for her power, the source of Alex's death, and for making her a monster.

"I'll let someone know the best way to pull you out." Mario promised in a low whisper, "Before he gets to me, I'll make sure they know where you are and how they can help you. I'm sorry." He stood and turned, walking quickly out of the plastic prison and the room it occupied, "I'm done Erik! Leave me be!" He called, making his way out of the lair and to the bus stop.

(-X-)

Rogue and Bobby had been in a frenzy all day. They'd returned to the restaurant to meet Kris, just as planned, but she never showed. Bobby automatically began tormenting himself with worry, while Rogue attempted to give Kris the benefit of the doubt. She'd tried calming her boyfriend, reminding him how engrossed into books Kris could get. After an hour or so, however, her excuse was no longer viable and she began worrying just as much as Bobby.

The couple raced as quickly as possible back to the Institute. The second they entered, their emotions and thoughts caught the attention of Professor Xavier. He hurried to meet them, asking calmly what was wrong, "Kris is gone!" Bobby blurted out, "She never met back up with us."

Professor X asked the teenagers to calm down and come to his study. Bobby was clearly frustrated, but did as his elder told him to. Rogue was better at keep her face emotion free, "Now," Professor Xavier said once they were in his study, "Tell me what happened."

Bobby was going to go off on a tangent, but Rogue stopped him, "Kris went with Bobby and me into the city today." She explained, "She wanted to go off and get a book, so she told us that she would meet us back where we had breakfast but when Bobby and I got there, she wasn't there. We waited, but it got late."

"You think that something has happened to her." Professor Xavier stated, not needing to question what they were thinking.

"Yes!" Bobby groaned as he began muttering to himself, "I should never have let her wander around the city herself. How could I be so stupid?"

Sighing, Rogue said, "Bobby, you weren't stupid. Kris needed to get out, but she still needed to be alone. We both understood that and we both let her go off on her own." Bobby groaned.

Professor Xavier took a deep breath and said, "Thank you. I will look into this immediately and when I find anything, I will tell you. Why don't you go get some rest?"

"Thank you Professor." Rogue replied.

Bobby didn't want to rest; he wanted to find his sister. He knew, however, that Professor Xavier wasn't open to discussions on the matter, "Yeah, yeah." He mumbled, stalking off to his room.

Once his students were out of his study, Professor Xavier's calm façade vanished. His forehead was creased with worry as he rolled out of the comfort of his study towards his once-again complete Cerebro, _"Storm, Logan, meet me down in Cerebro. Alex, I want you there too." _Strom and Logan immediately complied, but Alex said nothing. Professor Xavier knew that he wouldn't say anything back, but he would be down in Cerebro.

Professor X was already in Cerebro and searching hard for the slightest blip of Kris (but not hard enough to kill her) before Logan, Storm, and Alex reached Cerebro. He heard the door enter behind him and the three enter quickly but quietly, as not to break his concentration. Sighing in defeat, Professor X took his headpiece off and turned.

"What is it, Professor?" Strom asked eagerly.

"Kris is missing."

Shocked silence enveloped the group before Alex, deathly slow, breathed out, "What?"

Massaging his temples, Professor Xavier carefully explained, "She went with Bobby and Rogue into the City, but she went off on her own. She never returned to their rendezvous point. Bobby is under the impression that something malicious had happened to her and I, unfortunately, must agree."

"Why is that?" Logan asked, "She could have just left."

"No!" Alex disagreed instantly, "Not without tell anyone. Kris knows that this isn't a prison; that she doesn't have to be here if she doesn't want to. She could have left but she wouldn't. There would have been no where for her to go and she wouldn't do something like joining Magneto."

"But…" Logan attempted to protest.

"No!" Alex said again. He sighed heavily and thought on the matter for a moment. Like a brilliant flash of lightening, a thought that he hadn't considered before hit him, "Oh my god. Magneto. In the jet, when Kris's powers went on the fritz. Everyone saw her go crazy! I'll bet he thought her power would be helpful in whatever his next plan is."

Sighing in despair, Professor Xavier rested his head in his hands. This shocked Logan. He had never seen the Professor anything but calm, "Of course. Erik has never been one to go halfway to get what he wants. This wouldn't be the first time he's kidnapped someone." Taking a breath, Professor Xavier went on, "It makes sense, now. I can't find her with Cerebro. Erik must have found a way to cloak a hid-out in the same way as he made his helmet."

"Great." Alex moaned.

"What are we going to do, Professor?" Storm asked, the Professor sitting in his chair with his chin rested on his hand. He was in deep thought, "Professor?"


	17. Waking Up

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

Thanks to Ratdogtwo and Jas120!

(-X-)

Kris's eyes flickered open and she sat up on the uncomfortable cot that she was laying on, "What the hell…?" She asked herself. Standing, Kris assessed her surroundings. They weren't impressive. She was in a small, blank room with little more than the cot that she was lying on to occupy it. Once bored with looking around the room, Kris realized that she felt different. She didn't know what it was, but there was something different about her. It was nice.

Without much thought, Kris walked out of the room and began wondering around. She had no idea where she was, but she wasn't so worried about it. The last thing she remembered was Mystique, yet it didn't worry her. That was different. Kris couldn't help but make comparisons of herself. Things that had mattered, or were suppose to matter, didn't seem to any more.

It wasn't long before Kris ran into something, or rather someone, that she did not expect, "Magneto?" She hissed in shock.

"Ah, Kristine," Magneto replied, "I was wondering when you would wake up."

"Wondering?" Kris asked, "Why does it not surprise me that you would kidnap me?" Magneto opened his mouth to answer, but Kris interrupted him, "Whatever. Are you going to tell me what the hell I'm doing here, or do I have to beat it out of you and your little tramp?" The last part she added when Mystique rounded the corner. She still didn't like Mystique… Some things never change.

Magneto smiled, clearly enjoying the fact that she wasn't attempting to get away, "You were brought here because I wish for you to join me in my efforts to help the mutant race."

"Help?" Kris asked, "Meaning killing people that aren't mutants. Hell, you'll even kill mutants."

"If it becomes necessary." Magneto replied calmly.

Shaking her head, Kris said, "I don't kill people." Magneto attempted to hide his displeasure, but he couldn't fully. If Kris could have read his mind, she would have heard him cursing Mario for not doing a fuller job; she would have heard him claiming that Mario better have done better on Lorna or there would be hell to pay, "Chill, Mag. No need to look like your having a stroke."

Magneto took a moment to recover, "Kristine…"

"Kris."

Smiling, Magneto replied, "Kris. My dear, I am attempting to make the world a better place for mutants, surely you can understand that. I don't enjoy killing people," Kris scoffed, but Magneto continued as if there had been no interruption, "but I do what is necessary to protect my kind. We are more than human, dear…"

"No shit."

Again, proceeding as if there hadn't been an interruption, Magneto said, "and humans fear and hate us for that. You of all people should know that. After what your twin brother did…"

"_Never_ mention my brother again." Kris shot back angrily. Magneto couldn't tell if she was angry because of Ronnie's actions or his mere mention of the boy, but he assumed that it was the former. He didn't speak because something in her eyes told him to wait. He wasn't scared of the teenager, but if he angered her, he knew that she would be more difficult to handle. Kris looked around and, only seeing Magneto and Mystique, she questioned, "Where's John?"

Magneto cracked a smile. She was changed enough so that she cared about Pyro above everything else. Magneto knew that he could easily use that to his advantage, "He is in his room. Follow this corridor down to the first set of stairs that you come to. Take them down two flights and turn to your left. His room is the last on the right. If you wish to stay," He knew she would want to be with Pyro rather than leave, so he had no worries, "yours will be on the opposite end."

"Yeah, whatever." Kris replied, walking passed the two lunatics. When she passed Mystique, Kris intentionally swung her arm out a little too far and caught the woman in the arm with her claws. Mystique all but growled at her. Kris chuckled and kept walking. She could have sworn that she heard Magneto telling Mystique "be patient my dear" but Kris wasn't sure nor did she really care.

Following Magneto's directions, much less cautiously than she normally would have, Kris felt the excitement building as she got closer to where John's room supposedly was. She hadn't seen him in so long and she'd missed his so much. There was no denying that his leaving hadn't changed the way she felt. There was always going to be a place for John in her heart and she was glad that it wasn't just a memory anymore. She didn't care much for Magneto and she basically wanted to rip Mystique's head off, but there was a lot that she could see herself doing for John as long as he returned her affections.

Stopping at the door where John's room was, Kris stayed as quiet as possible and listened. She smiled when she heard John's voice. He was complaining about something but what it was, she didn't hear. Without hesitation, Kris opened the door and walked in. John's back was to her and he clearly hadn't heard to door open, "John?"

He turned and sighed heavily, "Mystique, stop." Kris raised her eyebrows, "I thought you understood last time. I don't want a cheap imitation."

"Mystique impersonated me?" Kris asked bitterly.

Groaning, John attempted to keep calm, "Seriously, Mystique, this is getting to be a little much. Pretending to not be you, calling me John… At least before, you didn't get so wrapped up into your character."

Bitterly reminding herself to do worse to Mystique than a little scratch the next time she saw the pain in the ass, Kris took a deep breath and said, "Clearly there are a few things that I need to deal with once _we _work things out, but for the moment…"

"Just leave." John shot at her before she could finish.

Kris scoffed and, before John could react, she practically lunged at him and kissed him so that he would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her. Kris felt a change in John as she went on and eventually all of his rigidity and hesitance was gone. When she pulled away, Kris smiled at John, who was staring at her in disbelief, "Better now?"

"Kris?" John asked, "It's you. It's really you."

"That's what they tell me." Kris replied with a smile. Her expression quickly changed, however, "So what was that about Mystique?" John was still staring at her, not completely sure that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing, "John," Kris said in a singsong voice, waving her hand in front of his face, "what are you staring at?"

"This has got to be my mind playing tricks on me… Or a dream."

Kris chuckled, leaned up close to his ear, and whispered, "Then pray you don't wake up." John was speechless as she trailed kisses from his cheek to his jaw and down his neck. His brain went completely haywire as she went back up his neck, followed his jaw to his chin, and stopped mere millimeters in front of his lips. She was playing a game that he was more than willing to play. He closed the miniscule gap between them, keeping his arms locked around her waist for fear that she would somehow disappear, and –like so many times before- got lost in the feeling of her lips on his.

(-X-)

Bobby sat alone outside the Institute, leaning against a tree and staring into space. It hadn't taken him long to discern what Professor X believed happened to Kris from what the elder man was pretending had happened. Bobby knew that it was Magneto who probably had Kris. Bobby sighed and gritted his teeth. He knew that Magneto would have only bothered with going so far as to kidnap Kris for John's sake. Sure, Kris was powerful, but she opposed Magneto's views and any and all opposition was normally killed. If Magneto had killed her, he wouldn't have taken her; it wouldn't have made sense to.

Sighing again, Bobby fought back tears. He was the older brother, it was his job to watch after Kris, especially because of what had happened with their family. They had no blood family anymore; they had each other and their friend's. Their parents and their brother hated them and Bobby knew that, if the latter three had told any other family, then they would hate him and Kris as well. Except, perhaps, their Grandma Maggie. She was always open-minded and kind; perhaps she would look passed the strangeness of her two eldest grandchildren (Kris was three minutes older than Ronnie) and accept them.

Taking a deep, shuttering breath, Bobby looked up at the sky. Kris liked stars; she was always pointing out the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt and all of the other constellations. He had never seen what she saw, despite her efforts, and Bobby felt that now seemed like an oddly good time to look harder. Squinting, Bobby looked around. He quickly became frustrated, having not found anything that resembled a constellation. They were just stars clumped randomly together.

"Bobby?" A voice asked, making him turn.

"Oh, hey Kitty." Bobby replied.

She hesitated for a moment before walking up to him, "Are you okay?" Bobby shook his head, "Care to share?" Bobby shook his head again, "Look, I know it's about Kris. Why she's gone; what happened. You know you can talk to me and you look like you need it. Do you know what happened?"

"Not one hundred percent." Bobby admitted, though he hadn't intending on saying anything. Shocked into silence for a moment at actually speaking, Bobby groaned. Kitty silently prodded him to continue, "I know that the Professor hasn't told me everything about what he believes happened. I know that he thinks that Magneto has her." Kitty gasped, "But he said he isn't sure. Probably because he can't find her." Bobby sighed, not completely sure why he had just told Kitty all of that. He sighed.

Kitty raised her eyebrows at him, "What?"

"Why are you so damn easy to talk to?" He asked, more to himself than to Kitty. This wasn't the first time that he'd spilt his innermost feelings to her. She had a way of making him say all of the things that he didn't want to. It was kind of annoying, but a little bit endearing.

Shrugging unsurely, Kitty tentatively replied, "I don't know."

Bobby sighed and smiled, "Thanks Kitty. For listening."

Kitty smiled back, "No problem." She replied, "Look, if the professor knows what happened to Kris and isn't telling you, that's because he's still working on a way to help her. You know you better than anyone and you know that if he told you, you'd jump the gun and try to help her. Going up against Magneto isn't something where you can go halfcocked; he's dangerous, Bobby. The Professor needs to have a plan before anything happens."

Sighing again, Bobby dropped his head; his chin knocked into his chest, "I know. I just don't like the idea of her being with him and not knowing what's happening. Who knows what he's doing to her…"

"Don't think about it." Kitty insisted, "We're going to get her back and that's all that matters. Get ready for that."

(-X-)

The moment he'd gotten home, Mario ransacked the whole place in search of his tape recorder. His home was ripped to shreds, yet he still hadn't found the thing. Mario sighed; he could have sworn he had one. Going to the last place that hadn't been searched through, Mario entered his late wife's study; a place he hadn't been since her death. Carefully and cautiously, Mario searched. He perfectly stacked everything that he took from its place, careful not to lose anything. This was the one room he didn't want to destroy; the others didn't matter.

After nearly half an hour of searching, Mario found something. It wasn't the tape recorder he was looking for, it was a video camera that hadn't even been taken out of its box. He'd forgotten that his wife had bought him that shortly before her death. Sighing, he pulled the camera, and the tape that came with it, out of the box.

Mario set up the camera and relayed his message. He stressed his agony at what he did and begged for forgiveness. He wasn't sure how much of the tape he used, but Mario sure he spent a fair amount of it blubbering. Turning the camera off and shaking his head at himself, Mario silently questioned what had happened to him. He'd been a strong man once.

Pulling the tape out of the camera, Mario quickly searched for –and found- a small box. He packed the tape into the box and surrounded it with newspaper. Mario taped up the box and addressed it, making sure that he took the time to make his handwriting legible. That was the only reason that he was being so slow.

Knowing how little time he had, Mario raced down the street to the post office and mailed his package. The woman at the desk was pleasant to him and he wished he had had the time to be pleasant back. He knew, however, that he had to get back home as swiftly as he could. Mario gave the woman a thank you, the least he could do, and raced back home.

With his mind firmly made up, Mario grabbed a rope from his garage and walked into his kitchen. It had the highest ceilings. Mario walked to the pantry and pulled out a stepladder. He walked into the center of the room, opened the stepladder, sat on it, and began looping the rope tightly around itself. Once that was complete, he stood on the ladder and secured the rope to the ceiling fan. Walking to the top rung of the ladder, Mario slipped the loop of the rope around his neck.

After several deep breaths, Mario was about to kick the stepladder out of under him, but a voice made him stop, "Mario."

Mario looked towards the door, "Erik."

"What are you doing?"

"Making the world a little bit safer." Mario replied, earning a scoff from the elder man, "I've never done any good and I'm too easily used. I'm weak. Besides, I figure killing myself will be better than you killing me. Less painful and all."

"You didn't do your job."

Mario laughed, "Yes I did. You asked for me to change them and I did."

Angrily, Magneto snapped, "You made Lorna…"

"I know." Mario interrupted calmly; at peace, "I couldn't let you use her. She'd be more dangerous than you so I gave her a reason to not want to use her powers. And as for Ms. Drake, I did exactly what you wanted. I just made sure that she didn't want to kill anyone."

"That doesn't help me."

"That's your problem, not mine." Mario replied. Before Magneto could stop him, Mario kicked the stepladder out of under him as quickly as he could. He dropped fast and, almost immediately, he was dead. Magneto huffed bitterly and turned on his heel. There was nothing he could do at the moment but return to Canada… He would merely have to try something else.


	18. Coping

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**alamodie-** Oh, hello! I'm glad you're hooked and I hope I don't disappoint. I know I haven't updated in forever, but I have had a lot to do over the past several months and I haven't had the time to write. It's been depressing, but I hope that that will be my longest time without writing. I can't be positive though. We will have to see how things work out. Thanks!

_**Author's Note:**_ Sorry for taking so long everyone. Thanks for your patience and I hope this makes up for it!

(-X-)

The kitchen in Magneto's hidden lair was shockingly well stocked and Kris quite enjoyed it. If she wasn't with John or alone in her room (with the stunningly advanced electronics supplied), she was in the kitchen cooking something. It was something that she had always loved to do with Grandma Maggie and had occasionally done at the Institute. She missed it. It had been, and still was, very relaxing.

Sitting on the counter, Kris ate her latest concoction, toast and raspberry jam, and sighed. Every once and a while she found herself thinking about Bobby and how he was. She knew that he must be worried about her, but she really had no inclination to actually call him or the Institute. All the changes in her were liberating, but strange. She didn't know if she actually liked the liberation, but she knew that she should. She was with John; she loved him, he loved her, and that was all that was necessary to know.

However, her calm and happy feelings were quickly dispatched of as Mystique entered the kitchen. Mystique shot her a condescendingly nice smile that Kris didn't even bother pretending to return. Embittered, Mystique grabbed an apple and turned to leave. Kris scoffed once.

"What?" Mystique asked, pissed.

Shrugging like a smart ass, Kris replied, "Oh nothing. I've just never seen you eat before. I figured that you had some crazy mutant thing going on that made sure you never had to eat. You're weird enough for it."

Snapping, Mystique flipped backwards and attempted wrap her legs around Kris's throat. She hadn't been counting on Kris's training, which she should have. She had been assuming that because Kris hadn't been at the Institute very long, her training wouldn't help her. She was wrong.

Ducking out of the way, off of the counter, and grabbing Mystique by the shoulder, Kris turned and shoved the blue woman to her knees, forcing her to stare at the counters, "Don't make assumptions about my progress," Kris hissed in a bitter voice, digging her claws into the muscles of the elder woman's shoulder, "Trust me, I'm a fast learner." She added, as Mystique groaned in pain, "And while we're here…" She added as an afterthought, "don't _ever_ come on to John again. And while you're at _that_, don't try to be me. You couldn't pull it off if you tried." She released Mystique, not surprised by the blood on her hands.

Standing, Mystique replied, "I still got him to kiss me."

Kris bitterly smiled, "Yeah, but he knew wasn't me. You can never really be anyone, you just imitate them." Mystique glared at her, "You may have their fingerprints, retinas, and voice, but you're just a cheap imitation." Mystique shook in anger, "You know, heard that you said that you don't hide as a normal person because we shouldn't have to." Mystique nodded, "Well, you do hide. You never, and I mean _never,_ go out into the real world like this," She indicated the woman's blue, scaly, naked body, "which means you hide."

"Sometimes it's necessary." Mystique replied, "I said we shouldn't have to, not that I didn't."

"I think it goes deeper than that." Kris said, "I think that something is going on right here…" She tapped Mystique's temple.

Chuckling, Mystique said, "Don't try to play therapist with me." She walked past Kris, nursing her bleeding shoulder.

"I'm guessing it's family issues!" Kris called after her, not turning to see the woman's reaction. She knew she was right. It was merely confirmed when Mystique stopped for a moment and then left. Kris chuckled, jumped back on the counter, and continued eating her toast.

After about five minutes, John came in, "Hey gorgeous."

Smiling sweetly, Kris replied, "Hey yourself, handsome." John chuckled as he walked over to her, kissing her the second he reached her, "What was that for?" Kris asked.

"I just felt like it."

Kris thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders, "Good enough." She said, pulling him to her by his shirt and planting a kiss on his lips. This kiss was not quickly broken. John pressed himself against her, wrapping his arms around her and keeping his lips firmly on hers. Kris put her arms around his neck, just to reinforce John's hold on her.

All of the things that Kris had thought about in the last several minutes –her love of cooking, Mystique, Bobby, the Institute, her mysterious change, and all the other fleeting details of her arrival at Magneto's lair- melted away and she lost herself in the kiss. It seemed cheesy to describe the experience like that, but it was true. Whenever John expressed his affection for her, Kris felt like she didn't need to worry about anything. She knew that she should worry, about _some_ things at least, but she just couldn't make herself do so. Was that such a bad thing, to not worry?

But, again, Kris didn't let herself worry.

The kiss lasted for a while –the couple didn't bother to actually keep track of time, because, like any normal couple, they wouldn't do that- and broke only when both deemed the break necessary. They chuckled lightly as they got their breath back. Kris took her hand and stroked John's cheek. He noticed, however, that she had blood on her fingers. Kris groaned as John took her hand in his and looked them over.

"What happened?" John asked worriedly.

"It's not mine." Kris replied, feeling like an idiot for not cleaning off her hand. It hadn't been the one she was eating with, so the thought hadn't occurred to her.

"Whose is it?"

Shrugging innocently, Kris said, "Mystique." John looked at her disparagingly, "What?"

Sighing heavily, John replied, "You really shouldn't antagonize her." Kris gave a look that clearly asked why not, "She's really not that bad when you get to know her. Besides, she's been with Magneto for years, trying to make life better for mutants."

Kris looked at him for a moment, "Yeah, that's great and everything, but I don't like her. I think she's a bitch… and kinda trampy." John sighed, "Don't give me that John. She and I are never going to get along. The only reason I am here is you." John looked at her, "Oh, please, you knew that. You had to."

"Kris, Mystique is important to Magneto and to the cause," John said, causing Kris to scoff, "and she's going to be around. Can't you try to get along with her?"

Kris sighed, pretending to think, and replied, "No." John shook his head and mumbled something about Kris being difficult, "I know." Kris replied, kissing him on the cheek, jumping off the counter, and leaving the room.

(-X-)

Bobby's nerves were very quickly being treaded on. Ever since Kris disappeared, stories had been going around the Institute. Most were that she had been kidnapped or taken hostage -something that Bobby believed but didn't want to think about- while some, mostly coming from Jubilee and several of her friends, were that she ran off to join John with Magneto or that she had simply run off. The lattermost story always had a different reason to go along with it every time someone brought it up, but Bobby tried not to listen.

To get away from all the chatter, Bobby found sanctuary outside the Institute, sitting under a tree or hiding out in the woods behind the Institute. He would sometimes run into Pete and/or Illyana, but they didn't bother him. Illyana just liked to go to the place where Kris had saved her to reminisce, feeling that there was nothing else she could do other than hope that Kris would come back safe.

Bobby often felt the same as Illyana. He would just sit and think, trying to come up with ideas to help her, to find her, but he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't immediately shot down by Professor Xavier and the other X-men. They didn't want to act rash; they wanted a plan.

But they didn't even know where she was!

Groaning bitterly, Bobby leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. He absolutely hated feeling helpless, particularly when it was his sister that was missing. It was the general consensus among the X-men that she had been taken by Magneto, but none were sure if that was possibly a comforting thought. They all knew that he wouldn't hurt her because A) she had a valuable power that he would want, and B) John, however mislead he may be, would never hurt her or allow her to be hurt; at least, they thought not. This, however, did little as no one liked the idea of Magneto getting Kris to use her power for his cause.

"Damn it!" Bobby hissed, his voice low, as he shot back, succeeding in little other than slamming into a tree. Bobby groaned in pain.

"Don't break your back." A voice said, causing him to look over.

Sighing, Bobby replied, "Hey Kitty."

Kitty walked over to him and sat down, "You okay?" Bobby just shot her a look, "Don't try to kill me with your thoughts, it was just a question."

"Sorry." Bobby replied, leaning carefully back against the tree, "I'm just…"

"Thinking about Kris again." Kitty finished, though that wasn't what Bobby had intended to say, however truthful it was, "Just relax, Bobby."

"Relax?" Bobby asked incredulously.

Nodding, Kitty continued, "Beating yourself up isn't going to help Kris anymore than anything else. Especially if you permanently injure yourself." Bobby groaned, "I know that you're feeling helpless; we all are."

"She's my little sister, Kitty." Bobby replied, "It's different. I'm supposed to watch out for her. We're the only family, actual family, that each other has."

"And you don't want to be alone." Kitty said insightfully. Bobby looked up at her, "What? You can't tell me that it's not true, particularly after what you just said. You don't want to lose the only blood relative that you have that accepts and understands you. You don't want to give that acceptance up. I mean, having your friends is great, but having actual _family_ know what you're going through… I can't even imagine how great that is."

Bobby sighed heavily, looking away from her to stare in front of him. She was right. Even with his friends, the teachers, and Rogue around, Bobby had never quite felt anything like knowing that his little sister was a mutant, was going through the same things that he was, and understood the struggle. At first the thought had been terrifying for him, he didn't want Kris to be feared and loathed by society just for being who she was, but then he thought harder. He didn't feel so alone anymore. There was finally someone he wouldn't have to hide from when he went home.

That was, of course, before he told his parents the truth. After that fiasco, Bobby felt that at least he had a little piece of home with him. He wanted that piece of home back. He wanted his sister to be safe and happy, but he wanted to be able to _know_ that she was safe and happy. He couldn't help but be angry at John, if only a little bit. John had broken Kris's heart and was, probably, the main reason why Magneto had taken such a huge risk to get her.

"You okay?" Kitty asked, "You're just staring into space."

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Bobby replied, "I'm fine, Kitty. Thanks."

"You're sure?"

"No." Bobby replied truthfully, shaking his head and laughing light, thus causing Kitty to laugh as well, "But, honestly, there is nothing I can do about that." Kitty sighed, but not out of irritation, out of understanding, "I'm going to feel like crap until I know that Kris is okay."

"It's understandable."

"Thanks." Bobby said, standing, "I'm hungry, do you know if they have anything good in the kitchen?" He asked, clearly changing the subject.

"Are you kidding?" Kitty asked, "Storm just went to the grocery store. There's a ton."

(-X-)

There was one person in the Institute that could feel and empathize with every ounce of pain and worry that was being felt. That person was Alex. He empathized with his brother because he was missing Lorna like Scott missed Jean, he could empathize with the various inhabitants of the Institute because he, too, had lost a friend in Jean, and he could empathize with Bobby because he worried for Kris as if she were the younger sister he never had.

And just like Bobby, he wanted to be alone.

Alex had a better chance to be alone than Bobby, however, and for that he was thankful. He spent most of his days in his room, going over the clips of security tapes that he, Jean, and Scott had taken before they found the others during their escape from Alkali Lake. The hope that he would find something that told him what happened to Lorna was small, but it was there. However, it was decreasing quickly.

"You have to stop doing this to yourself." A voice said from the doorway, making Alex jump. He hadn't heard a knock, nor the door actually opening.

"No I don't." Alex replied as Storm walked in and he returned to the tapes.

Sighing, Storm walked up to Alex and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Alex…"

"Rory, please don't." Alex begged, trying to keep himself together. He had cried what seemed like thousands of time while looking at these tapes, but he couldn't do it around her, "I just _need_ to find her."

"We've looked for her with Cerebro." Storm said, causing Alex to look at her, "The Professor had a hunch and I think he's right, especially now that he looked."

Alex waited for a second, "What?" He asked when it was clear that she didn't want to say what she had to say.

Sighing in despair, Storm admitted, "Professor Xavier thought that it is possible that Lorna might be with Magneto." Alex started to protest, "Alex, I don't mean like that. I mean, we think it's possible that, like Kris, he just took her."

At this, Alex felt his throat close. He gasped for breath and, when he finally caught it, he cursed, "Damn it! How did I not think of that?" Feeling like a complete fool, Alex, shaking and breathing raggedly, leaded back on his bed and felt the tears dripping down his face.

"We can't find her, Alex." Storm said, "Just like we can't find Kris."

"So we're giving up?" Alex asked bitterly, sitting up and wiping the acidic tears off of his face, "No. I am not giving up on the love of my life and one of the greatest kids I've ever met. You and Professor X can give up, but I'm not."

"What are you going to do, Alex?" Storm asked, "Search the entire globe?"

"I don't think I have to." Alex replied, "I think that they are still in Canada."

"But you don't know for sure." Storm stated.

Alex groaned, "Tell me if you and Professor X are giving up. I need to know so that if you do, I can leave. I can't stay here, the only person actually looking for them."

Storm sighed, knowing that she had gotten herself into a heap of trouble. She didn't want to give up, but she was positive that finding any trace of Kris and Lorna, along with Magneto, was nearly impossible. Thinking quickly, Storm, in an attempt to get out of the hole she had dug for herself, replied, "Look, Alex, please don't do anything rash. We will talk to Professor Xavier tomorrow about a plan of action. Just sit tight for tonight." Alex snorted bitterly, but she took that as a sign he would, "I have to go help Kurt pack, okay?"

"So he's definitely going back to Germany?"

Nodding, Storm replied, "Yeah, he wants to see his family again. I think he'll come back after a while, though."

"Good, we need a laugh." Alex replied.

"Promise me you'll stay here." Storm said, "I don't want another friend getting in trouble." Alex sighed, "Alex!" Storm practically begged.

"Fine." Alex said.

"Promise me, Alex." Storm said firmly, "You're not always too truthful when you give vague answers."

He sighed again, but help up his hand in a Boy Scout Salute, "Scouts Honor, I will not run off and do anything rash."

Storm raised her eyebrows, "You were a scout?"

"For six years before I came here." Alex said with a slight smile.

Storm shook her head. Alex and Scouting weren't exactly the first correlation that would come to mind. Shaking herself out of her reverie, Storm said, "Thanks. I know you're worried about Lorna and Kris, so I am, but we can't go off half baked. That's how all of this happened. We trusted Magneto with a plan and we got burned."

Sighing, Alex replied, "I know."


	19. Just the Beginning

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**WishingOnMyStar-** It's okay that you're not quite sure where this is going. Or, at least, that you weren't. I don't expect anyone to fully know where I'm going on the first chapter, I just do what I can to create an interesting story that people will want to come back to chapter after chapter. Thanks for the review and I hope that you like what happens next.

**alamoie-** Thanks and that's okay, I don't mind weird reviews. My updating isn't really dictated by my having a life, because I really don't; I just have a ton of work to do. But, anyway, yes… Lorna WILL come back into the story, but that won't necessarily make everything better. Rogue hasn't dropped off the face of the Earth, Bobby was just avoiding contact with pretty much everyone. He's going through a lot with everything that is happening to Kris, and thus, is going through a rough time with Rogue. Notice how much of an influence Kitty is being on him?

Many, many thanks to GoodGirlzDead and ratdogtwo! You rock!

**A/N:** Erm… I've not even going to try to explain my absence.

(-X-)

Time was irrelevant. Kris wasn't exactly sure how long she had been in Magneto's James Bond-esque hidden lair, but she was –for the most part- enjoying herself. Mystique had been much less irritating, as Kris hadn't seen her for quite awhile. She'd begun to stay away. There was very little around that could stress her out. Kris sighed in contentment. She hadn't been stress free in such a long time –long before she became a mutant- and it felt amazing.

In her room was where she found the most peace. It was her own place and no one –meaning John and, occasionally, Magneto- entered without knocking, a luxury she found almost nonexistent in the Institute (unless it was Rogue, and even then…) and even less so when she had been at home.

Resting back against the headboard with pillows on either side, Kris read from one of the books that she had gotten during her time with Magneto. From what she heard before she retreated to her room, Magneto and Mystique were pretty much locking themselves in some room that had a huge computer in it to map out some plan or another. She rather preferred not to think about it.

A knock came on her door, pulling her away from the book, not a hard task as this particular book was annoying, "Come in, John." She called, closing the book as he came in. There was a strange smile on his face, "What?"

"How'd you know it was me?"

Kris chuckled, "Because Mystique would be out of her mind to come near me and Magneto really has no use for me that would require him to actually come to my room." She said as she put the book down on the bedside table, "What can I do for you handsome." She asked as she scooted to the foot of the bed.

Sitting down beside her, John shrugged, "I don't know. I was bored and wanted to see you."

Kris smiled, "I like that reason." John leaned over and kissed her, "I like that too." She said as he pulled back.

John smiled and ran his hand through his hair, his eyes landing on the book that she had been reading, "Good read?"

Shaking her head, Kris replied, "Not really. The main character is completely emo and self-loathing. He attacks people who are the same religion, skin color, you name it, as he is because he hates everything about himself and… It's really annoying." She groaned, "Freaking ironic…" She mumbled before trailing off into incoherency.

"Ironic?" John asked, "Why is self-loathing ironic?"

Shaking her head again, Kris replied, "It's nothing." John raised his eyebrows. There was something in him telling him that "nothing" was the exact opposite of what "it" was, but clearly Kris didn't want to talk about it. She was the one person whose buttons he didn't want to push.

"O…Kay." John said.

Sighing, Kris said, "I'm sorry."

"You're fine." John replied.

"Thanks." Kris said, taking a deep breath and running her hand through her hair. John was eyeing her, making sure that she was okay, and she leaned over and kissed him.

Raising his eyebrows, he asked, "And that was for…?"

"For dealing with me."

John reached up and pushed her hair out of her face, "I like dealing with you." He said and he kissed her. This kiss, however, got very different very quickly.

There had always been a passion between them that both knew was there. John had always been willing to act on it, Kris had not. That, it seemed, was changing. The deeper his kiss got, the more Kris responded. John was confused but he wasn't going to complain. Kris put her arms around John's neck as he deepened the kiss even more. Then, taking a risk but not really thinking about it, he leaned forward, pushing Kris back onto the bed.

To John's surprise, Kris went with it. She gripped him tighter as he kissed down her neck and back to her mouth. His hands found her hips and gripped the shirt that just barely reached the top of her jeans. Before he knew it, her shirt was off and on the ground. Kris, in turn, did the same with his shirt. It soon joined hers on the floor.

This was all going surprising well on John's end. Kris, however, was feeling strange. Flashy pictures were forming in her mind. It was as if she was in a rave and the strobe lights were blinding her. It was mildly painful, but mostly irritating. She groaned slightly at the flashing, but John thought it was for another reason.

Just as John had unbuttoned her jeans and prepared to unzip them, the flashing grew unbearable and she pushed him back, "Kris? Are you okay?"

Shaking her head, Kris tried to get the flashing dots out of her eyes. She mostly succeeded and looked around. She felt awkward, out of place, and scared.

She felt like herself again for the first time in two weeks.

"John…?" She asked in a shuttering breath, "What am I doing here?" She remembered some of the last two weeks, but they were now shrouded in flashing rave lights and shadows, "Why did Magneto bring me here?"

"Kris… What's wrong?" John asked.

Taking deep breaths, "John… Did you ask him to change me?" She asked, not wanting to believe that John would have Magneto change her. He told her plenty of times that he loved her the way she was.

"What are you talking about?"

Kris laughed bitterly, "Didn't you notice that there was something different about me?" She asked, begging internally that he had. She had been so different; how could he not have noticed?

"Kris, I…" John said, only now realizing that she was right, "Jesus, Kris… I…" Kris shook her head at him, stood up and buttoned her pants, and snatched her shirt up. Quick as a flash, she had her shirt on, "Kris, please…"

Shoving him back, Kris said, "Stay away from me. I can't believe you…" and she ran. John was too stunned to react but when he finally did, he ran out into the hall. Kris was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it!" He growled at himself as he raced off to look for her.

(-X-)

Kris thanked the high heavens that she was such a fast runner. She had had to get away from John, away from that room, away from what had been about to happen…

She loved John but now that she felt like her old self, she wondered what lengths he had gone to for them to be together. Had it been his idea? She couldn't even think about that. She just needed to get out of his hell she was in.

Running more, Kris found herself down an unfamiliar hallway. Strange. Kris knew almost every hallway in this entire damn complex. The layout of this place was the only thing that she could fully remember. Why had her feet led her astray? Even without thinking, Kris knew exactly how to get out. She wanted out but something was pulling her in the direction opposite of the exit. Sighing, Kris went with it. Clearing there was something she was missing because her intuition didn't lie.

As she continued on, Kris wondered why the hell she was listening to her intuition. Nothing was there but more hallways in this direction! Groaning, Kris began to turn.

Then she heard something. She wasn't quite sure what it was. It sounded like sobbing, as if someone was in so much pain that they didn't know any other way to let it out than to break down into hysterical tears. Following the sounds, Kris walked forward. She reached a door that was clearly meant to keep whatever was inside in. There was a keypad on the door. She closed her eyes and tried to think. Magneto had never given anything up, but Mystique had been thinking some very interesting thoughts lately. Kris cringed. She had done some snooping without permission lately.

Shaking the thought out of her head, Kris tried to think. She filtered Mystique's private thoughts through her head, looking for something that could be the code. She found something that looked vaguely helpful and clicked the corresponding numbers on the key pad.

It didn't work.

"Damn!" Kris mumbled, looking harder into her subconscious. She found another number and tried it. It worked, "Yes!" Kris whispered to herself excitedly. The door opened and Kris entered.

She gasped at what she saw.

Plastic. Pure plastic. And in the middle was Lorna, "HOLY SHIT!" She screamed, looking at Lorna's pathetic form. Malnourished and sick looking with red, puffy eyes and she was still crying, "Lorna?" Kris asked, running up to her.

"Kris?" She asked, still crying, "I killed him…" She murmured, "I… Magneto made me… I…" Lorna then completely broke down. Kris rushed up to her and pulled her into a deep hug, "I don't deserve…"

"Shh…" Kris hushed her, "Relax, sweetie, I'm going to get you out of here." She pulled Lorna to her feet, "Come on. We've got to get out of here."

"Where are we going to go?" Lorna asked, clearly not in her right mind, "They won't want me after I…"

Kris sighed. She had no idea what Lorna was talking about. Tucking her arms underneath Lorna's arms, Kris heaved the older woman to her feet and had to practically drag her pathetic form out of the room. Praying that John couldn't catch up with her, Kris pulled Lorna along and raced towards the exit.

(-X-)

The last two weeks has sucked. The longer time passed, the more Rogue felt Bobby retreating into some ridiculous shell. She didn't like it. Bobby wasn't an antisocial person and she was really worried that that was what he was becoming. Even less she liked the fact that the only person who seemed to pull him out of his reverie for any amount of time was Kitty.

Sighing to herself, Rogue tried to shake the thought from her head. Kitty was one of her best friends and she couldn't even comprehend ever being betrayed by someone she was so close to. Still… I _had _happened before. Who was she truly close to?

The hall was quiet. Most people were either in the game room or getting homework done or… wherever they decided they wanted to be. The silence was sort of annoying. Luckily, it didn't last long.

In her pocket, Rogue's cell phone began ringing. Professor Xavier had given it to her –Bobby and Kris each got one as well- just after the incident at Alkali Lake; he said that they got them as part of becoming part of the X-men -something he felt was fitting after that incident.

Pulling the phone out of her pocket, Rogue looked at the Caller ID. She didn't recognize the number. It was weird because the only ones that had her number were other X-men and Logan. She opened the phone and tentatively said, "Hello?"

"Rogue?" A frantic voice asked, "Holy shit! Thank god!"

"Kris?" Rogue asked in shock.

"Hell yes!" Kris replied, "Jeez. I thought no one would pick up."

Gasping for breath and trying to speak, Rogue had no idea what to do. Thought finally reached her head and she managed to speak, "Oh my god! Where are you? We've been worried sick?"

Clearly flustered, Kris answered, "I don't know where I am!" Panic saturated her voice, "I'm in some rinky-dink town in the Canadian Rockies. That's all I know, but I swear if you guys don't get the hell up here soon, Magneto will find me gone and flip."

"Oh my god." Rogue replied, her feet subconsciously taking off in the direction of Professor Xavier's office. She hoped Bobby was there bitching again. Several people were in the halls and she had to weave in between them to get passed. Some grumbled at her, but she ignored them, "Professor!" She called, bursting into the office.

Professor Xavier looked up from his desk, on which there was a sheet of paper that was clearly interesting to him. Storm and Alex were in either side of the Professor, having been reading the sheet as well. Logan had taken off a few days before, needing to clear his head or something, so Rogue wasn't surprised not to see him. She would have been the first to know if he had come back.

"Rogue?" Professor Xavier asked, "What's wrong?"

In a flash, Rogue had switched her cell phone to speaker and said, "Kris? You there?"

The trio of adults raised their eyebrows, not sure they were hearing her correctly. Smiles broke out when a voice said, "Yes! Now get me outta here! I'd rather be at the institute."

"Kris?" Professor Xavier said anxiously, "Are you alright?"

"Eh. I could be better." Kris replied, still slightly panicked, "I found Lorna!" Alex almost collapsed, "But something's wrong with her. She's clearly not in her right mind. I think what happened to me might have happened to her."

"What do you mean?"

"Professor, can't I tell you when you get me? Is now a really good time?"

Shaking his head, Professor Xavier replied, "Of course. Where are you?"

"I can only narrow it down to the Canadian Rockies. Small town, probably near Alkali Lake."

(-X-)

The atmosphere inside the Blackbird was more than tense. Rogue was trying to keep herself calm by breathing deeply but she couldn't let herself relax as Bobby was sitting next to her wringing his hands and rapidly tapping his feet. Rogue had had to search practically every nook and cranny of the institute to find him while Professor Xavier used the newly fixed Cerebro to zero in on Kris, narrowing his search to the Canadian Rockies near Alkali Lake. Kris, he said, had been using her powers as much as she could so that she could stand out. It had worked and Professor Xavier had no trouble locating her.

Bobby hadn't believed Rogue when she told him that Kris had called. He had been moping again, this time on the roof of the Institute. Rogue didn't even want to know what he was doing on the roof. She had managed to convince him to at least come down and he saw the Professor, Strom, and Alex preparing to leave. He knew then that Rogue hadn't been lying.

Of course, he hadn't even needed to insist on coming, Professor X told him that he and Rogue were coming with them and that Pete and Kitty were going to preside over the mansion while they were gone. Bobby had not even verbally agreed before running down to the lower level and changed into his new X-men uniform. He didn't even question Professor X for coming with them.

As Storm lowered the jet, Bobby's twitching became quicker, "Bobby, seriously. Stop." Rogue shot at him. Bobby looked at her as if she was crazy for even suggesting that he do anything of the sort. Rogue raised her eyebrows in question, clearly irritated. She was just as excited as he was to see Kris again, but his twitching was just too annoying to let pass. Besides, Rogue was positive she was just saying what everyone else, particularly Alex, was thinking.

Storm landed outside of the small town, in a small clearing in the woods and as far away from the mountains as possible. Kris had warned them that Magneto had his lair hidden in those mountains. Bobby had asked if they were going to look for Magneto, but Professor X had said no. Bobby was furious. He couldn't believe that Professor X was going to the very place Magneto was hiding and not try to capture him. It had been Alex who had gave Professor X's reasoning, "Kris and Lorna are our first priority. We need to get them out of that town and make sure they are safe. Besides, that mountain range is huge and finding the way in, much less actually getting in, would be nearly impossible."

Bobby had not been happy. Rogue had rolled her eyes.

Quickly and quietly, the group descended from the well hidden jet and wasted no time in making their way into the shoddy motel Kris had found makeshift refuge in. Professor X's wheelchair was surprisingly easy for him to maneuver over the snow, grass, and mud.

The hotel was on the outskirts of town, so they got there quickly. Alex quickly found the room number that Kris had given them and knocked. Bobby practically shoved Alex out of the way, causing Alex, in irritation, to shoot a small dose of his power into Bobby's back. The teen lurched forward just as the door opened and almost feel over directly on top of the person who opened it.

Kris.

He, did not, however, fall. The reason why was very simple. Kris saw him and immediately lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him in a vice grip-like embrace. He hugged her back for the several seconds she embraced him. However, Kris let go and pulled him inside, indicating for the others to follow. They did, Storm closing the door once Professor Xavier was inside.

"Kris," Professor Xavier said, "are you alright?"

"I suppose it would depend on your definition of 'alright'." Kris replied, "I've spent the entire day freaking out because I thought Magneto might show up plus I've been trying to keep Lorna quiet, not exactly easy…"

Alex interrupted, "Where is Lorna?" He asked, an emotion in his eyes that Kris couldn't fully place.

Sighing, Kris replied, "In the bathroom." Alex raised his eyebrows, "She's hiding in the bathtub like a crazy person. I seriously have no idea what's wrong. I think… I think someone changed her… Like they did with me."

"What do you mean?" Professor Xavier asked.

"I didn't have any inhibitions except for killing. I was willing to stay with Magneto. I… I… I was willing to do things that I would never do." Kris tried to explain. She was so flustered she couldn't fully articulate what she wanted to say. There wasn't much chance to explain, anyhow, as a wail soon came from the bathroom, "Crap."

"What's that?" Rogue asked.

Again sighing, Kris replied, "Lorna." She hastily made her way to the bathroom and knocked, "Lorna?" No reply, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"He's dead!" Lorna's strained voice replied.

Taking a deep breath, Kris shook her head. She had been hearing that since she found Lorna in Magneto's lair, but she had no idea who Lorna was talking about, "What? Whose dead, honey?"

Sobs came from the bathroom and Lorna sounded like she was going to be sick soon. Pulling herself together for one moment, Lorna was able to say, "Alex." In a hushed voice that was still heard throughout the tiny room.

Kris stared at the door, turned to Alex, and turned back to the door, asking, "What the hell?"


	20. The Return

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**GoodGirlzDead-** I certainly hope that it was your reading so much and not the actual chapter itself that caused you to have to reread. Mario's plan will be revealed soon enough, so don't worry about that. Lorna's vulnerability is merely to show how quickly someone can change when they've been through trauma, so I'm sorry to say that she, for the moment, will be staying that way. It will give Alex something that he has to work through. Sorry I took so long, I really didn't mean so. I'll update ASAP from now on.

Thanks Ratdogtwo, .Devil, WhisperInTheRain, and S K B C!

(-X-)

Alex was completely confused and beyond pissed off. Lorna had taken one look at him and broken down into even more tears. She had mumbled something about hallucinations; how her guilt must be getting to her. Kris had placed her hands gently on Lorna's temples and calmed her. The calming, combined with her utter exhaustion, caused her to fall asleep. Alex took her in his arms before another word could be said and sat down on the bed, holding her close.

"I'm so sorry, Alex." Kris said, "I... Oh, God..." She collapsed against the wall.

"Kris, please, stay calm." Professor Xavier replied, "Please tell us what happened."

Sighing, Kris looked to Bobby for support. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She hugged him, took a deep breath, and looked back to Professor X, "Well, I'm sure you know that I was taken when I was out with Rogue and Bobby... I told them that I would head out on my own; I just needed to be alone for a while longer."

"We understand that Kris, and we don't blame you." Professor Xavier replied, "Please continue."

Swallowing, Kris said, "Well, I walked into a grocery store because I wanted to buy something small to eat and Mystique cornered me and knocked me out with what I'm assuming was chloroform."

"Chloroform? Where can you get that nowadays?" Bobby asked.

"Internet." Rogue replied.

Nodding, Kris went on, "Anyway, I was out for a while and when I woke up, I was different. I didn't care that I was with Magneto; I just didn't care. I can't explain it but I didn't have any cares or problems or... Nothing. But now that I think about it, Magneto got pissed the night after I came. He mentioned Lorna, so I thought she had turned him down on his offer again..." Then it hit Kris that Alex had no idea what she was talking about, "Aw shit..."

"What offer?" Alex asked, spite in his voice.

"To join him. He liked her powers; they're so close to his, so I guess it makes sense that he thought he could use them..." Kris was careful about what she said; there were somethings that just couldn't be spoken around everyone.

"Son of a bitch..." Alex grumbled, holding Lorna even closer.

"But I never thought that he had actually gotten to her." Kris said, "Then after I was pulled out of it, what ever _it _actually is, I found her and everything made sense... Well, to a point."

Professor Xavier thought for a moment and Kris could see the proverbial light blub going off in his head, "We must leave. Immediately."

(-X-)

**-Westchester, New York-**

Kris never thought she would be so glad to be back at the Institute. After the hell that Jubilee and her cronies had put Kris through, the latter had most certainly thought about leaving multiple times, even without a place to go. Now that she had left (however unintentionally) and returned, Kris couldn't imagine leaving.

Kitty met them when they returned (though Alex had made his way with Lorna undetected), handing the Professor a box that had come for him and then hugging Kris tightly. She insisted that they should have a movie night to celebrate her return. Rogue was quickly invited, but she insisted that it was girls only; Bobby shot her an angry look at that.

Kris had complied, but asked for the night off from the festivities. She just wanted to get settled back in. Kitty agreed and had taken Rogue off for some reason that Kris was too sure had to do with their "girl time."

Having been freed for the night, Kris went to her room, grabbed her bathroom things, and took a shower. The feeling of dirt and grit from the mountain hadn't left her, as she hadn't been able to wash since Lorna had take her refuge in the bathtub. Kris still felt like everything that had happened -that had _almost _happened- was still on her.

After her shower, Kris put on her pajamas and a robe and crept down to Professor Xavier's office. She knew that he was there and she wanted to speak with him privately. There were still some people who had not yet gone to bed, but she knew that it would be easy to avoid them.

Reaching the office door, Kris raised her hand to knock. It didn't surprise her, however, that before her fist even touched the door, a voice said, "It's open. Please come in."

Kris did as instructed and entered. Professor Xavier was sitting at his desk with a small portable television in front of him. He seemed distressed, "Professor? What's wrong?"

Sighing, Professor Xavier closed the television and popped the small tape out of its side, "I just received a package from a man that I have known for quite awhile. His name is Mario and in the package he enclosed a tape in which he confessed to helping Magneto "persuade" you and Lorna to join Magneto's cause."

"Excuse me?" Kris asked, anger boiling up in her.

"He apologized for his actions, told me where to find you, and the best way to pull you out of your hypnosis." Kris stared at Professor Xavier aghast. Really? She had been gone for weeks and this was just getting to them! Whoever this guy was, Kris fully planned on finding him and kicking his ass, "Don't judge Mario too harshly, Kris." Professor X said, sensing and seeing her anger, "He was a coward, yes, but he had the best of intentions in sending this to us. Unfortunately it got lost in the mail."

Kris sighed and mumbled, "Fucking worthless U.S. Postal system..." Professor Xavier gave her a look, "Sorry Professor... So, does he know how to pull Lorna out?"

"He believed that her seeing Alex again would do the trick."

"Clearly not." Kris shot back, "Well, lets go find this guy and make him take it back."

Professor Xavier shook his head, "That will not be possible."

"Why the heck not?!"

Calming, he said, "Two reasons. First and foremost, Mario cannot change back memories that he can change. Secondly... He is dead."

"What?"

Professor X pulled a newspaper out of the drawer in his desk. A small blurb at the bottom of the third to last page told of a local butcher who committed suicide. It went on to say that his wife had died not long before and that several friends claimed that he had been depressed.

"Oh dear god... You've got to be kidding me." Kris mumbled before collapsing into the chair in front of the desk.

"I'm afraid not. We will have to find another way to bring her out... However, her guilt for her actions may or may not still be there."

"But she didn't do anything!"

Sighing calmly, Professor Xavier took a moment for her to cool down before continuing, "Of course she didn't but even the memories of what she didn't do could have a major affect on her."

"Great..."

Thinking for a moment, Professor Xavier sighed and said, "Kris, try to sleep. We'll worry about this in the morning."

"What about Alex? When are you going to tell him?"

"In the morning." Professor Xavier replied, "This isn't something that I want him to sleep on now that he's got her back."

Kris nodded, stood, and left without another word. Alex had Lorna back, but in a way he didn't. Cyclops didn't have Jean back at all and he never would. John, though he seemed completely surprised when snapped out of Mario's illusion, would never be back either... Kris couldn't help but make comparisons about their respective romantic situations.

"Love sucks..." Kris groaned.

"Ditto..." A voice said, making Kris jump, "Sorry kid."

Turning, Kris saw Alex leaning up against the wall. He was workout shorts and a wife beater, "No problem. How's Lorna?"

"Still sleeping." Alex replied, "Professor X wants to keep her down in the lower level so that he can better determine what's wrong with her. Control the situation better. She's not going anywhere, so I don't see the point in keeping her in a lab." There was spite in his voice.

Kris sighed, "Well, no... But she can get a little loud sometimes... And she throws stuff a lot... And, Alex, it doesn't have to be a lab. He can make a room up for her..." She saw the look on his face, "Don't turn me traitor here, Alex. I'm seeing both sides of the argument here. I don't want her hidden away but I've seen how strong she can get... I mentioned Magneto _once _and she almost pulled the faucet out of the bathtub. I'm just saying that we need to find out how to bring her back and she needs to be as comfortable as possible and having people poking around isn't going to help that."

"I'm sorry. I just got her back and I can't stand the thought of having to lock her up again. I don't even want to know what happened in that... Why did he even want her? I could sense that there was something up with him when he saw in the woods, but I shrugged it off because he's such a..."

"Creeper?" Kris offered.

Alex shrugged again, "She was rambling in her sleep a while ago. Something about Magneto and some big secret, and how I would have never forgiven her for it if I were... still alive." Kris didn't know what to say though she knew exactly was Lorna had been referring to, "Did you hear anything before we got there about that?"

"Uh-huh." Kris replied, though seemingly not convincingly enough. Alex raised his eyebrows, "What?"

"Kris, please don't lie to me." Alex said, "If you know anything, it could help her."

"It has nothing to do with the change." Kris said, "Just let it go. This isn't my place to say anything."

"Kris, whatever it is, I need to know. Please."

Groaning, and realizing that she was almost literally backed into a corner, Kris thought for a moment. She knew that Lorna would be angry with her if she ever snapped out of Mario's illusion but Alex looked so worried and desperate for answers that Kris didn't know what to think, "Erm... I... Alex..." She took a deep breath and walked up to him. Leaning close to him but not looking in his face, Kris whispered in an almost indiscernible mumble, "Magneto is... Lorna's biological father."

Alex slumped against the wall, "What?"

"I heard them arguing in the woods the night that you found us. She begged me not to tell you."

"He's her..."

"Glorified sperm donor? Her words."

"Why didn't she ever tell me?"

Sighing, Kris said, "Maybe she didn't know until recently. Maybe she knew that you knew him and she didn't want you to draw conclusions. Maybe she knew what he was like and wanted to break any ties to him... Hell, maybe none of those or a combination of the three. She loves you Alex and she needs you. Please don't let this rip you apart."

"Of course not... I just... I need to see her. Good night." With that, he left. Kris sighed. She hoped that she wouldn't regret what she had just done.

"Shit..." Kris mumbled, "I need to go to bed." With that, she slugged off towards bed and hoped that no one would wake her up.

(-X-)

Sleep had come to her but it hadn't been easy to come by nor did it last the entire night. Every hour or so, Kris was jolted awake after a nightmare that didn't seem to want to go away. It was about John and that's all she cared to remember of it. It was early, maybe around five, when she decided that she no longer wanted to lay in bed and try to get back to sleep.

Getting out of bed, Kris walked down to the kitchen to grab some juice. She cursed to herself for getting into Bobby's habit, but reminded herself that she wasn't scarfing down a pint or more of ice cream, she was getting juice.

Drinking her juice, Kris leaned against the island in the center of the room with her back against the door. She heard something behind her, someone shifting around trying not to be heard. The vibe she was getting from the person weren't unfamiliar but she hadn't felt them since she'd been back, "Logan." Kris said before turning around.

Logan had a shocked expression on his face but he soon faded, "Welcome back."

"Ditto."

"I'm just passing through."

Kris chuckled with a slight bitterness in her tone. Logan didn't take it personally; she had plenty to be bitter about, he was sure, "Sure you are."

"What does that mean?"

"You have friends and a home here, Logan. How long is it going to take you to realize that you can stop "passing through" and actually settle down for more than a month or a mission?" Kris asked, dead tired and practically falling asleep where she stood.

"I refuse to listen to a kid who can barely stand." Logan replied with a sass in his voice that Kris didn't appreciate, "Talk to me in the morning when you're more coherent."

"Whatever. But take if from someone who knows, sooner or later you'll want those roots. Make sure you have them."

"Thanks for the philosophy lesson, kid."

Sighing and realizing that her juice was finished, Kris rinsed out the can and put it in the recycling, "That wasn't philosophy, it was common sense."

Logan looked her up and down. She looked a little worse for wear, but nothing that he wasn't sure she could bounce back from. Her scent was a strange as ever. He thought for a moment; her scent had been strange and new for him until Alkali Lake. Now he knew what it meant: An extremely powerful mutant. A thought flashed across his mind. Did she know just how powerful she could be? Could she control it?

"You're staring at me." Kris said in a deadpanned voice, "It's creepy. Stop." Clearly she hadn't been listening in. Logan liked that; it wasn't time for her to have to deal with the power yet.

"Sorry, kid. Get some sleep. We can argue in the morning."

"Whatever you say." Kris replied, leaving the kitchen. After a second, she stopped and turned, leaning back into the doorway, "Oh, and Logan. Good to have you back. Rogue will be ecstatic." With that she left.

"Thanks..."


	21. Unraveling

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

**A/N:** Hi all! Sorry for the long wait. Time has been catching up with me. There's been so much to do. I hope the wait was worth it for you.

(-X-)

"Passing through." Right. Kris had known –somewhere deep in her fogged brain several nights before, when Logan had returned- that Logan "passing through" was not going to happen the way he wanted it to. With Mr. Summers holed up in his room, they needed someone to head up Danger Room groups with Storm. She just couldn't do it all alone.

So, that was what happened. Professor Xavier asked him to take over for Cyclops and Logan didn't have it in him to refuse. Alex would have if he'd been asked, but Professor X knew that he had enough to deal with. Lorna, though calm most of the time, had a tendency to freak out and Alex was the only person who could calm her.

So Logan it was. Logan, Storm, Kitty, Bobby, Rogue, Pete, and Kris were being practically slaughtered by the new program that Professor X had recently created. Technically they were all supposed to be working together, but teams always emerged. Storm and Logan were one; obvious because they were the leaders. Somehow, Rogue and Pete had ended up on one side of the room while Bobby and Kitty ended up on the other. Kris somehow avoided the teaming. She was more of an individual player anyway.

Sometimes, however, that wasn't the best course of action. Having someone watch your back wasn't always a bad thing, Kris had to admit. She would have given anything for John to be the one at her back, but that wasn't going to happen. Anyway, the point was, Bobby, Kitty, Pete, and Rogue were fairing much better than she was at the moment. She was bruised far more than usual (even though this was a new program, she noticed that the others seemed to be getting along just fine given that they were being slaughtered).

Kris made her way to the top of a particularly high pile of metal and stopped for a moment to catch her breath and to map out her surroundings. Logan and Storm were clambering up from behind a pile of charred and twisted metal. Just then, a fiery ball raced past Kris's head; the force on the air around her knocked her off of her feet.

Groaning in pain, Kris tried to sit up. Having landed on her left side, her arm and ribs weren't exactly enjoying that idea all that much. Massaging her wrist, Bobby and Kitty caught Kris's eye. They were having a moment that was a little to tender for her liking. _Damn it, Bobby!_ She thought, _What the hell is wrong with you?_ She wasn't the only one to notice, she saw. Rogue was frozen in place, staring at the two.

"Shit…" Kris mumbled. Rogue had a hard enough time as it was, not being able to touch people. She didn't have a normal relationship with Bobby and Kris knew that she desperately wanted one. Kris had noticed when she returned from what had come to be known by some as her "mountain getaway" that there was something different about Bobby and Rogue. They were spending far less time together than they had been and Bobby had been spending a lot more time around Kitty.

And, again, she wasn't the only one who noticed. Rogue had definitely noticed and not just because she and Kris, who had hung out a lot since Kris's return, had spoken about it. Pete, too, had noticed. It was strange to Kris that she seemed to be the only one who noticed that he was nursing a serious crush on Kitty. And by serious, Kris meant that he basically worshiped the ground Kitty walked on and would cut off his own arm if she asked him to.

Kris finally brought herself back to the situation around her and stood, speeding off of the pile towards the rest of the group. She slid to a stop near Pete and heard Logan call him over. Storm protested as Pete took Logan by the waist and collar and threw him towards their attacker. Standing up straight, Kris crossed her arms. _Well, this session is over…_ She thought.

Within seconds, a metal head came crashing at their feet and Logan reappeared, "Class dismissed." He said. Storm did not look happy. Kris gave him a little half smile as she shook her head. What he had done was completely not part of the exercise… However, she was glad to be finished. She really needed a relaxing shower.

The room returned to normal and Kris, along with the others, exited the room and entered the girls changing room with Rogue, Storm, and Kitty. Kris found that, as she changed back into her clothes (she would shower in the bathroom down the hall from her room), she couldn't really look at Kitty for too long. She didn't hate Kitty, she didn't dislike Kitty; Kitty was her friend. One of the only people who had given her any respect since she got back. But, though she didn't know it at that moment, she had a deep, simmering anger in the pit of her stomach and Kitty was the cause.

She sped out of the changing room and back to her bedroom without speaking to anyone. She pulled her robe out of the closet and grabbed the small basket with her shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and razor off of the inside of the closet door and placed them on her bed. She stripped off all of her clothes and threw them in her clothes hamper, pulled on her robe, grabbed her basket, and headed out the door. She thanked heaven once again that the bathroom was only at the end of her hall. She really didn't want to walk too far in her robe.

Well, to be honest, she wasn't really comfortable with walking down to the bathroom as it was. What she wanted was something like the teachers, Logan, and guests (such as Alex) got: their own bathroom attached to their bedrooms. Granted, Kris knew that this was not going to happen so long as she was a student, but she could dream.

(-X-)

After what she considered one of the best showers she'd had in a while, Kris sat on the chair in front of her vanity, brushing out and drying her hair. She decided that she needed a hair cut in the near future; her hair was starting to get too long. For some reason she felt that she wanted something extreme… Like a pixie cut! No one would be able to believe that Kris, now commonly called Elvira (shockingly, not another one of Jubilee's ideas), had something as cute and feminine as a pixie cut. Kris didn't understand it. She didn't like pink or frills, but that didn't make her any less feminine than any of the other girls.

Turning off her hair dryer, Kris thought for a moment. Why should she care what anyone thought about her hair? Why should she care if people wouldn't refer to her as anything other than "Elvira"? This wasn't any different than high school before she was a mutant… The thought stopped Kris short.

This was absolutely the same. It was like she'd been transported back to high school in Boston. She thought that for once she had found a place where she fit in. Well, she fit in and she had friends, but she still had most of the school against her, "Shit." She mumbled as tears welled up in her eyes. Leaning forward, Kris rested her hand in her hands as she cried. Kris was not one to cry.

Kris felt like a complete blubbering idiot for crying and it only made her cry more. Taking a moment to breathe, Kris leaned back in the chair she was sitting in. With everything that had happened in the past couple of months, Kris was surprised that she hadn't completely lost her mind.

A knock came on the door and Kris took a moment to better compose herself, "Come in," She said once she was somewhat satisfied with her appearance. Rogue entered, "Hey, what's up?"

"I think Bobby might want to be with someone else…" She mumbled in a low voice after closing the door behind her.

"What?" Kris asked, disbelief in her voice. She knew, though, that Rogue had a point. Bobby's behavior could only lead her to a few conclusions.

"I mean, maybe I'm being paranoid, but I've seen the way he's acted around Kitty and…" She shuttered and took a breath, "Even around some of the other girls and… I know I'm not the easiest person to date, but…" She shook her head, "He's the only guy I can imagine being slightly okay with the way that I am… If I lose him I don't know what would happen."

"Rogue, if Bobby breaks up with you because of your ability, then that's his prerogative… I, for one, would probably never talk to him again." Kris assured her, "Besides, you're not the only person to see what he's like with Kitty. I don't think she'd do anything but… I don't know. You got a really shitty hand of cards dealt out to you. But, you will know one thing. Whoever you end up with, and you _will _end up with someone, will love you for you."

Smiling, Rogue said, "Thanks Kris." Kris gave a small bow, "Now what's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" Kris asked innocently.

Shaking her head, Rogue said, "Kris you've obviously been crying." Kris cursed herself, "What happened."

Sighing to herself, Kris said, "I've just been stressed out. Finding out I'm a mutant, getting together with my brother's best friend, telling my parents, Alkali Lake, losing said boyfriend… Everything that's happened up to and including my "mountain getaway" has just been wearing on me. Having Bobby around is great, but he doesn't really get it. No one does. No one can really understand what happened there. I was happy, but now I'm miserable that I was happy. I shouldn't have been happy around them."

"You're mind was tampered with, Kris. No one blames you."

"Sure…" Kris said, "I don't know. I don't care about what happened when I was there but… I just wish I could help Lorna. She must be so scared."

Nodding, Rogue replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Kris nodded back but she couldn't help but think, _I don't think you do._ Only Kris, Professor X, and Alex knew fully what had happened to the two of them in Mario's puppet hands. Only the three of them knew everything that Lorna knew as the truth and what Kris would have been willing to do.

"I just want to know how to make her better." Kris replied, "That idiot who did it to us sent Professor X a message about how to fix it… Unfortunately his idea was for her to see Alex."

"That only made it worse." Rogue said, "How could he think…?"

"I don't know." Kris replied, "Now the dipshit is dead, so we can't even make him help us!"

"How'd you get pulled out, anyway?" Rogue asked.

Sighing, Kris thought for a moment, "Promise not to tell Bobby?" She asked. Rogue raised her eyebrow, "Promise or no deal. And if I find out that you did, in fact, tell him after you promised not to, I will kill you. Painfully."

Rogue thought about the idea. She clearly wanted to know, but she didn't want to have to keep something from Bobby. On top of that, she was pretty sure that Kris's threat would be followed through, "Okay," She finally said, "I promise."

Taking a deep breath, Kris nodded, "Um… John and I… Well…" She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "We were about to have sex." She said in via telepathy. Rogue's eyes popped, "I was going along with it and then everything came back to me. I don't know how and I don't know why, but at that point something took over and I was me again."

"So you didn't actually sleep with him?" Kris shook her head no, "Oh thank God…"

"Tell me about it. Can you imagine me trying to explain to the Professor, or anyone for that matter, what happened if I had?" Kris asked, "Talk about uncomfortable."

"And if Bobby had found out…"

"He would be the least of my worries," Kris said, "That's why I said it telepathically. If anyone found out, even though we didn't do anything, it would be all over the school in a heartbeat that we had. And if we actually had… I would never be able to show my face around here again. Not because of what people would have thought but because that's not who I am. I mean, damn, John and I were together for just a few months. I don't rush into that stuff."

"You weren't you." Rogue said.

"I know…" Kris replied, "But still… It's hard to think about." Rogue nodded, "Why are boys so difficult?" She asked. Rogue laughed slightly, "I mean, seriously, how hard is it to find a nice, sweet guy who loves you and would do anything for you?"

"You mean like Pete would for Kitty?" Rogue asked.

"Oh my God, you noticed too?" Kris asked.

"How could I not?" Rogue retorted, "I thought I was the only one who had though."

"Me too. No one else seems to get it."

(-X-)

After talking about Pete and Kitty for around an hour, Rogue gave Kris a careful hug and the two went down for dinner. They saw Storm, who asked Kris to bring something down for Alex and Lorna after she was finished. Kris complied.

She piled up two large plates with lasagna and garlic toast and headed down to Lorna's (and, unofficially, Alex's) room. She knew that Lorna was probably asleep so Kris covered one with tin foil to keep it warm. Lorna would wake up sooner rather than later (she almost always did. It was impossible to keep her asleep for long) and Kris knew that she would be really hungry.

Kris used her elbows to push the elevator buttons and open the doors that she encountered. Alex wasn't surprised to see her come into Lorna's room; she was the other person beside him and Professor Xavier who knew the code into the room, "Hey. Dinner's on." She said simply, placing the plates on the desk.

Alex sat on Lorna's large, plush bed. Her head was in his lap and he was stroking her hair, "Thanks." He grunted.

"Don't you think you're being a masochist?" Kris asked, "You're constantly down here, just watching her."

"What do you want me to do?" Alex asked, "Just leave her here alone? Even if she thinks I'm a delusion, even if she thinks that she killed me," he shuttered at the thought, "she's happier when I'm around. That's all I want." He sighed for a moment, "I can't believe the asshole couldn't think of something else to do… He manipulated what was supposed to be the happiest moment of our lives. If I ever get her back, there is no way in hell she'll marry me."

"You don't know that…"

"But I know Lorna." Alex said, "She'd feel so worried about this nightmare coming true, she couldn't accept." Tears slipped down his face as he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

Kris didn't know what to say. She couldn't, in good conscience, refute him. He certainly did know Lorna better than she did and Kris couldn't say that she wouldn't do the same were she Lorna's position, "I wish I knew what to do to bring her back."

"Don't put that on yourself." Alex said, "You were unconscious when he did it to her." Kris nodded sadly, "Oh… Did you hear? Scott ran off."

Kris's eyes widened, "He did what?"

Alex nodded, "He's gone. Apparently Logan caught him as he was leaving and he blew him off. He's been so depressed since Jean… I hope he doesn't do something stupid. We argue a lot but he's still my brother."

"I know what you mean." Kris said, "My brother Ronnie, the one who called the police on us…" Alex nodded; he'd heard the story, "I hate that little bastard's guts, but he's still my brother and I love him. I want to punch him in the balls, but I think I can understand why he did it."

"You can… How?"

Kris shook her head, "A girl's got to have her secrets, Alex."

"Uh-huh…" Alex said with a critical eye.

"You'd better eat; your lasagna is going to get cold."

"Yes mother."

Kris rolled her eyes with a smile, "And make sure Lorna eats. She'll starve herself if we let her."

"I know." Alex said sadly.


	22. The Cure

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

_A/N:_ Many thanks to XxRikela-chanxX and Pyro'sGirl224! Sorry this took so long. I had a major case of writer's block for this story. I think that's gone, however, so hopefully more will be up in the near future. That is, of course, if school doesn't get in the way. Thanks for being so patient!

(-X-)

The stress had to be getting to her. That was it. The stress of the increased Danger Room sessions was messing with her. That was the only way that Kris could even fathom dealing with that she was seeing. Warren Worthington II was on television, harping about how mutants shouldn't be hated simply because they had a disease. _Disease! _Mutations were not diseases. Then he had the gall to claim that he had come up with a cure.

"What the hell?" Kris mumbled, watching the television with disgust on her face. She was positive that nearly everyone in the Institute –if not everyone- was watching this. She worried that some (Rogue included) still couldn't see their powers as a gift. Kris was in no way oblivious to the fact that many mutants had a difficult time with their powers, but it was part of who they were.

Thinking about it for a moment, Kris couldn't help but wonder how in hell a single shot could suppress a mutation permanently. For crying out loud, they were talking about changing someone's DNA. That was like saying that they could change someone's eye color. With a huff, Kris rose and exited the room. She hadn't been the first to leave the room in disgust and she was sure that she wouldn't be the last. This Warren Worthington II spoke as if he actually knew what mutants were going through.

It was clear to Kris that he most certainly did not understand what mutants were going through. Since becoming a telepath, Kris had become very good at discerning body language in accordance with what people were thinking. This man was no mutant in hiding, that was for sure. Perhaps a friend or family member was and he was deluding himself into thinking that he was helping them. It was likely… And by the look in his eyes, Kris figured it must be a family member. It seemed impossible to Kris that any human didn't at least know a mutant, whether they were aware of it or not. Her sessions with Professor Xavier and Cerebro (after Alkali Lake, he decided that he wanted her to know how to use it) had shown her the vastness of mutants.

Kris soon found that her feet were carrying her to Professor Xavier's office, not her room as she had originally planned. She figured that this was a good thing. Being alone while she was fuming didn't usually help matters much. In all honesty, she hoped that Professor Xavier could make sense of this for her. She knew that people feared and hated mutants, but they were still people. There was no way that she could fully understand why so many people wanted to hurt them or change them. This shot, whatever it was, couldn't just be a tiny prick and then you're done… There had to be more to it than that. And what about those mutants who loved their powers and couldn't think of living any other way? She knew that plenty of people would believe that all mutants, no matter how they felt about themselves, should be given this "cure."

Without knocking, Kris entered the room, "Professor!" She exclaimed as she entered, not realizing that Professor X wasn't alone, "Oh… I can come back." She finished, noting Storm, Logan, Rogue, and a large, furry, blue man who seemed vaguely familiar.

"No, please come in." Professor Xavier replied. Kris entered, "Hank," He said to the blue man, "This is the young lady I was telling you about." Kris raised her eyebrows in confusion and looked around to the others in the room. They seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she was, "Kris, this is Dr. Henry McCoy…"

"Wait…" Kris said, "Hank McCoy… The Secretary of Mutant Affairs?"

"The very same." Dr. McCoy replied, holding his hand out.

Shaking his hand, Kris looked to Professor X, "Why were you telling the Secretary of Mutant Affairs about me?" She asked worriedly.

"Hank is a former student of mine." He said in an attempt to calm her, "I was merely telling him about your abilities."

Kris looked at him shrewdly, "Uh-huh…" She replied, "Professor, I'm a telepath. We're not that uncommon." That was another thing Cerebro had taught her. Sure, telepathy to the extent that she and Professor X had it was fairly uncommon as far as mutant powers go, but telepathy wasn't just poking around in people's heads; there was more to it than that. Kris, however, saw that Professor X was just smiling at her in the way that told her that he wasn't going to be any more forth-putting in regards to Dr. McCoy, "But whatever… Professor, this "cure," is it legit?"

Dr. McCoy answered instead, "From the research I have seen, yes."

"But…" Kris sighed, trying to keep her head, "How in the world can one shot change a person's DNA? Suppressing an entire strand of someone's sole reason for existence can't be possible."

"It does seem improbable," Dr. McCoy admitted, "But…" He hesitated for a moment, "The source of the cure…"

"What source?" Logan interrupted.

McCoy hesitated again, "A boy… A mutant."

"A boy?" Kris asked, her anger rising, "How old?"

Knowing that there was no way to snake around this line of questioning, despite not wanting to reveal it to anyone besides Professor Xavier, Dr. McCoy answered, "I'm not sure. Twelve… thirteen maybe." He saw Kris cringe, "He stays at the Worthington Labs on Alcatraz Island."

Scoffing, Kris said, "Fitting." He gave her a questioning glance, "Alcatraz Island; one of the most notorious prisons in United States history. This boy is living in prison, being used a guinea pig to make a 'cure'," she stressed the sarcasm on the word, "to fix people who are just like him. He's being told that he's sick and he needs to be cured, but probably never will be. If he's the cure, they can't simply cure him, can they? Quite frankly, pardon the language, this is complete bullshit!" Kris sighed and slumped against the wall; she was getting a headache. She no longer questioned her empathic abilities. The emotions around the Institute were getting to her. Most people were horrified and disgusted, but there were some that seemed excited.

Storm walked over to Kris to make sure that she didn't fall over. Wolverine watched, worried that she was going to throw up or something. Rogue stood there, slightly ashamed. She knew that Kris had the best intentions, but she didn't think that Kris could really understand. Professor X and Dr. McCoy were silently agreeing with her but were conflicted on the matter.

"Kris," Storm said in a gentle but firm voice, "Perhaps you should go lay down."

"Excellent idea," Kris agreed, "I'm going to do that." They all watched as Kris slowly made her way towards the door. She realized that they were watching her, making sure that she didn't fall or collapse. While normally that sort of behavior would have irritated the living daylights out of her, she didn't have the energy to care at the moment.

Once the door shut behind Kris, Rogue going with her to make sure that she made it back to her room alright, Hank mused, "She is very opinionated on the subject. Far more than I'd expect a teenage girl to be."

"What do you expect?" Logan asked, "She's got the media and hate groups telling her she's a freak and she shouldn't exist when she sees nothing wrong with herself. Her own brother called the cops on her for crying out loud."

"I beg your pardon?" Dr. McCoy asked in shock.

Logan sighed, "Her brother. He called the cops on both her and their older brother because they're mutants. She has her own family telling her to be something other than what she is. I've been around the block far longer and far more often than you think fuzzball. I've seen kids in her situation more often than I care to admit. She's one of the lucky ones." McCoy had no idea what to say. With that, Logan exited the room. He felt for Kris. She had been through a lot personally and he was sure that it was going to get more difficult when her powers grew. He hoped that, whenever that was, she would have some semblance of normalcy in her life.

(-X-)

Kris felt terrible. She didn't feel sick, but she felt terrible. It was as if something in her subconscious knew that something was going to happen. Her head hadn't gotten any better; in fact, she felt like it had gotten worse. She felt like her brain was going to explode. She was worried. This was similar to what it felt like before her powers manifested and when her powers went on the fritz on the way to Alkali Lake. The thought was sickening, to be honest. She didn't need or want to go through that again.

A small knock came on the door and she groaned but didn't answer. Another knock came, "Come in…" She groaned before shoving her face into her pillow.

She heard the door open and close, but she didn't look up. She felt two teeny-tiny hands come to rest on her temples as a light weight pushed the mattress of her bed down ever so slightly, "Illyana…? What are you doing?"

"Trying to make you feel better," The girl said, her Russian accent –for some reason- very soothing to Kris's ears, "I felt that something was wrong and I wanted to ask if you were okay." Kris sighed. In all honesty, she had no idea what Illyana's powers really were other that her teleportation. If it was even "teleportation," which Kris wasn't entirely sure of. It didn't look, sound, or smell (this part she was thankful for) like Kurt's teleportation but Kris figured that that didn't mean anything.

"Thanks." Kris replied.

"Are you okay?" Illyana asked.

Kris shook her head slightly while Illyana kept massaging, "No. I have no idea why, but I feel like my head is going to explode. I feel like something bad is going down and soon."

Illyana was quiet for a minute as she decoded the American slang. Kris knew she had once she gasp slightly in understanding, "Well, you are quite powerful, Kris." Kris scoffed, "No, you are. Everyone knows it. Why do you think people give you such a hard time? Why do you think that Jubilee is so mean to you? It isn't just because of John, that I know."

"How?" Kris asked, sitting up and looking at the girl, "It took me long enough to figure out that she hated me because of John and now you're telling me that she has another reason?"

Illyana nodded, "Kris, from what I have heard, from both the students and the teachers, you have excelled far more quickly than anyone expected you to. I heard Professor Xavier say to Dr. McCoy… You met Dr. McCoy, right?" Kris nodded, "Well, heard Professor Xavier tell him that he hasn't seen someone excel so quickly since his first class."

Kris raised her eyebrows, "He said that?" Illyana nodded and Kris groaned, "But no pressure." Illyana stared at her, clearly confused, "Illyana, I don't know if you know this, but I hate have people put pressure on me. I hate when people expect things from me that I feel aren't important. I'm just trying to get through high school."

Illyana understood. She, and everyone else at the Institute, knew what it was like to (no matter how occasionally) want to be normal. She also knew that Kris and Bobby were going through a lot, particularly with their family situation (something that everyone, of course, knew about). But that didn't stop anyone from being mean. Jubilee had been the worst, but she was calming down a little bit it seemed.

"I don't know what I can do to help," Illyana admitted.

"No need." Kris replied, "I'll just have to deal." Illyana nodded because she didn't know what else to do. Kris, like so many, was like a mule. She had to grit her teeth and bear whatever was coming at her. Illyana wondered why people couldn't ask for help when they needed it. Did they not know how? Was it really that much of a sign of weakness to ask for help?

Illyana's musings were interrupted by another knock on the door, "Who is it?" Kris called.

"Me." Bobby's voice said back.

"Come in." Kris replied. Bobby entered and Illyana stood, "Where are you going?"

"To find my brother." Illyana replied as she left.

Bobby watched her go and once she was gone, he sat on the bed next to his sister, "You okay?" Kris sighed and shook her head. There was no use in lying to her brother, "Is it that cure they're talking about?"

"A little." Kris said, "I think…" She added, not entirely sure why she felt the way that she did.

"What do you think about?" He asked hesitantly.

"I think its complete bullshit, that's what I think." Kris replied, a bit harsher than intended, "I mean… I think it isn't a good idea. There is no way to suppress a gene in one shot. It can't be possible." Taking a deep breath, she said, "Besides, mutants don't need a cure. We're not a disease and we're not an abomination."

Bobby nodded, "I figured that you would feel that way." Kris noted that he didn't say how he felt about it, "I mean, I don't know what to think. I don't think we need to be cured but… a lot of us don't…"

"Want to be mutants." Kris finished, "I know. We have people telling us that we're freaks every day. When people are saying that every day, several times a day, it starts getting ingrained in kids brains. Why do you think there are so many teenage mutant suicides? This is a way out, but it's going to backfire, I can feel it."

Bobby didn't know what to say. He had learned long ago to trust his sister's feelings and now that she was a telepath, he found that –even more than before- he couldn't think of an argument as to why she would be wrong. Kris laid down on her bed and Bobby, not sure of what else to do, stood, "Come back here." Kris said, "I really don't want to be alone with my thoughts at the moment."

"What do you want me to do?" He asked with a smile.

"Well, for one, you could massage my back." Kris said, "You've always been good at back massages and mine has been killing me lately."

Bobby chuckled, "Okay. Flip over." Kris complied and Bobby began running his fists along her back. Soon after he began, however, Bobby noticed something strange, "Kris, why are twitching?" Kris had no answer. She couldn't stop, though she felt the twitching and found it very uncomfortable. After several seconds, a searing pain and a screaming voice ripped through her head and she blacked out.


	23. Phoenix

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

The first thing that Kris felt was the massive headache. She didn't know how long she'd been unconscious, but as she came around, her head was killing her. The second thing she felt was the heavy weight on her stomach, "Ow…" She mumbled, her voice thick.

"Kris?" A panicked voice asked as the weight was removed from her stomach, "Kris?"

"What the hell?" Kris asked as she tried to open her eyes. They were thick with sleep and it was difficult to open them.

"Kris? Are you okay?"

"Bobby?" Kris asked, finally managing to open her eyes. Bobby was standing above her with clear relief in his eyes, "What the hell hap…" She noticed that his cheek was wrinkled slightly, "Were… were you sleeping on me?" She asked, her brain still fogged.

"Oh… yeah… Sorry about that." Bobby said, "I mean, I haven't slept in the past couple of days because I've been so worried and…" He was talking a mile a minute and Kris couldn't really keep up.

"Wait… Slow down." She said, trying to sit up. "What do you mean 'you haven't slept'?"

Bobby sighed, helping her to a sitting position, "Kris, you've been unconscious for nearly three days. You passed out while I was giving you a back massage, remember?"

"That was three days ago?" Kris asked breathily.

"Well, closer to two and half, but yeah." Bobby said, "We've all been really worried." Kris nodded, not sure what else to do. What could have possibly caused her to go unconscious for nearly three days? "But, there is good news!" Kris looked at her brother, "Dr. Gray is alive!"

"What?"

"Actually, it kind of coincides with you passing out." Bobby said, "There was some telepathic whispering or something and then Professor X told Storm and Logan to go to Alkali Lake and they found her there. She's alive but no one has seen her since they brought her in. She's unconscious. They're keeping her in another room."

"She's alive?" Kris asked, still shocked.

"Yes, and we're glad you are too," A voice said. Kris looked towards the door and saw Professor X and Storm, "How are you feeling, Kris?" Professor X asked.

"Peachy." Kris replied. The headache was receding, but she didn't feel great. Storm smiled as she walked over to her and gave her a hug. Kris hugged her back.

"Kris, do you remember what happened before you fell unconscious?" Professor X asked.

Kris sighed and tried to think back. What had happened? "I felt bad. Not sick, just bad. Like something was going to happen but I didn't know what. Then Illyana came in and we talked for a while. Then Bobby came in, Illyana left, and Bobby was giving me a back massage when I passed out."

"No, you started twitching before you passed out." Bobby said, "Remember?"

Kris thought for a moment, "S… Sort of. It's all very hazy." She sighed, "But I… There was pain. A searing pain and someone was screaming…" Kris breathed heavily. She was exhausted, even after being unconscious for three days.

"Professor," Storm asked, "Is it possible that Jean could have caused her to lose consciousness?"

"It's possible." Professor X replied, "Jean's mind was very chaotic. She could have unintentionally targeted Kris because of her power and her relative newness to it. Or, they could be completely exclusive matters…"

"You don't believe that." Kris said. Professor Xavier stared at her, "You don't. Don't lie to me. I passed out at the same time that Dr. Grey… did whatever it is that she did. Coincidences like that just don't happen."

Professor Xavier sighed, "Kris, I…" He didn't continue.

The way Kris stared at Professor X gave the impression of someone who hadn't slept in days. Her eyes were droopy and baggy, her skin was ruddy, and she looked like she was struggling to stay awake, "Professor, I don't know what is going on, but I felt like my head was exploding. It was what I felt when my powers manifested and it was what I felt when my powers went crazy on the way to Alkali Lake. If this keeps happening…" She took a shuttering breath, "I won't make it past thirty."

(-X-)

Kris had been allowed to return to her room after she insisted that she would get more rest there than if she had to stay in the medical wing. She was still exhausted, but she was glad to be back in her room. It was the only thing that gave her comfort. She literally had no energy. She was far more drained than she let on but the last thing she wanted was to have Professor X poking and prodding around in her head.

Besides, they had other things to worry about. Dr. Gray was still unconscious but no one other than Professor X seemed to know why and he wasn't telling. Also, everyone knew that Mr. Summers had gone off to God-knows-where and they couldn't find him. Alex was getting exceedingly worried about him, particularly now that they'd found Dr. Gray alive and relatively well.

Bored out of her skull in her room, Kris decided to break her promise to stay in bed and left her room. She didn't have any particular place planned that she wanted to go, but Kris didn't care. As she walked down the hall, she heard voices coming from various rooms. She had no desire to spend time with people her own age, or people in general to be honest, so she passed those rooms.

Eventually, Kris found herself down in the lower level near Lorna's room. She shrugged and decided that she should go see Lorna. She had to lean against the wall as she walked there, but Kris stubbornly continued on. When she reached Lorna's door, she knocked. No one answered so she walked in. Lorna was asleep, curled into the fetal position. Alex was nowhere to be found. He must have left to get food or something. Kris smiled down at the girl. She wished that she could find out a way to make Lorna's waking hours as happy and comfortable as her sleeping hours.

Figuring that she should leave and let Lorna sleep, Kris turned. She pulled the door open and closed as quietly as she could and continued to make her way down the hall, once again having no particular place in mind.

About five minutes after she left, Kris heard someone whisper behind her. She turned but no one was there. Furrowing her forehead, Kris continued on. It happened again, but there was no one there. The whispering got louder and louder and Kris began to panic. She covered her ears but it did nothing to hinder the sound.

It was screaming now; so loud that she couldn't see properly. She clutched her head as hard as possible but the sound didn't stop. She sunk to the ground and writhed with pain. Then, after several minutes of agonizing pain, the sound stopped abruptly. Kris released her head and breathed deeply. She wondered for a moment whether or not she was dying. Then she remembered what she'd said to Professor X earlier that day, "I'm not even going to make it to thirty." She said.

Slowly, she stood and sighed. The second she turned, however, she jumped in shock, "Oh dear god… Dr. Gray?"

Dr. Gray looked at her quizzically for a moment, "Kris?" She said, as if she weren't entirely sure, "Yes. Kris."

"Dr. Gray? Are you okay?"

"You are quite impressive." The older woman said, walking closer to Kris, who backed up, "Your powers are… exceptional. How has Xavier managed to keep you hidden?"

"Dr. Gray, what are you…"

The woman reached out and telekinetically gripped Kris's throat, "Stop talking." Kris gasped for breath, clutching her throat, "It's distracting." She kept her grip and cocked her head. It wasn't long before Kris felt an odd sensation in her head. It felt as if something were crawling around in her brain. The look in Dr. Gray's –or whoever the hell it was, because Kris was sure that that wasn't Dr. Gray- eyes told her what she needed to know. The older woman was digging around in her head. That wasn't something that Dr. Gray wouldn't do.

Kris tried to choke out something along the lines of, "What are you doing?" but she couldn't get it out. The crawling feeling began intensifying and Kris put all of her energy into blocking the older woman out of her head. The obstruction clearly infuriated Dr. Gray, who upped her effort to get into Kris's head.

The back-and-forth battle between Kris and Dr. Gray was taxing on both of them. Glaring at the older woman, Kris saw that she was flinching in pain. At the same time, however, Kris felt something drip over her lips. Her nose was bleeding. Both women gave one final push, forcing Dr. Gray to release Kris, who fell to the ground.

Dr. Gray looked panicked for a moment before turning on her heel and disappearing. Kris blinked once and when she opened her eyes, Dr. Gray was gone. Breathing heavily, Kris leaned forward and pinched her nose. She'd learned long before that it was a common misconception to lean your head back if you had a nosebleed.

"Kris?" She heard a tiny voice ask.

Looking up, Kris saw a familiar figure with green hair tiptoeing towards her, "Lorna…"

Lorna slowly made her way to Kris and rubbed some dried blood off of her lips, "You were bleeding." She said quietly.

"Lorna, honey," Kris said, "You shouldn't have left your room." The thought of Lorna running across whoever was possessing Dr. Gray in her state flashed through Kris's mind. During their mental battle, Kris had seen a few flashes in Dr. Gray's head. One thing stuck out to her. Phoenix.

"I heard something." Lorna said, "I haven't seen him today. I thought it was him." Kris sighed. Though Lorna thought Alex was a hallucination, she liked having him around. She was always more difficult and more panicked when he wasn't around.

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere," Kris said, trying to stop Lorna from breaking down into tears, which she was sure would happen eventually, "But right now, we should get you back to your room." She tried to stand but got light headed and sunk back to the ground.

"Lorna!" A voice called in the distance.

"She's over here!" Kris called back, attempting to stem the flow of her newly bleeding nose.

"Kris?" Alex called as he reached them. Lorna smiled up at him brightly and clutched him around his shoulders, "What the hell happened?"

Kris didn't get a chance to answer before Professor Xavier, Storm, and Logan –who was, oddly, looking a little worse for wear- came racing toward them, "Oh my God." Storm said, dropping to her knees next to Kris.

"Kris, are you alright?"

"No…" Kris said, "That was _not _Dr. Gray…" She whispered, rubbing the dried blood off of her mouth. She looked up and stared directly at Professor Xavier, "We need to talk. Alone."


	24. Hell Breaking Loose

**Femme Fatale**

**Summary:** After X1 through whenever. Kris is the younger sister of Iceman. She comes to the Institute after learning of her mutant abilities and getting into a huge amount of trouble. There she meets Pyro and things really get interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing... But I sure wish I did!

(-X-)

_**Author's Note:**_ So, sorry for taking so long. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This is where we will get in to who Phoenix is and I will be sticking to the movie's explanation even though I hate it and much prefer Phoenix as an alien entity. However, I think I can make a really good comparison between Phoenix and Kris. Hope you all enjoy. Also, the whole thing with the primary auditory cortex is just something I made up that sounded like it could be legit.

(-X-)

An untouched cup of steaming tea sat on Professor Xavier's desk. Kris refused to touch it. Professor X sipped at his own cup, but Kris could tell that he was simply to give himself something to do. He was nervous and uncomfortable. It was all very out of character for the man whom she had come to respect as a teacher, mentor, and friend. He'd offered her the tea as a peace offering, but she refused to bite. She was too angry to even think about being nice.

"So…" Kris said, tapping her steel-strong nails against the wooden arm of her chair, "First and foremost, what, or who, is Phoenix?" Professor Xavier nearly choked on his tea, "Don't be so surprised. She tried to force her way into my brain. I was bound to see a few things." She had already explained what happened between her and Phoenix, now it was her time to ask questions.

Taking a deep breath and set down his tea, "What you must remember, Kris, is that no two telepaths are alike. While control of our gift is centralized in the primary auditory cortex, it is not necessarily dependent upon it. For instance, for one mutant, if the PAC was injured and they lost their hearing their gift would be affected to some degree, but for another it may not be affected at all because there are many other factors that make up telepathy."

"Yes, Professor, you've explained this before."

Professor Xavier nodded, "Jean was unlike any telepath I had ever met. The great majority of her powers were focused in her unconscious mind. She had more power than I could have imagined possible both consciously and unconsciously. It was controlling her and it made her dangerous. In an attempt to help her control her gift, I began putting up mental blocks around the unconscious power. As a result, her unconscious mind began to form a personality and during our meditation it called itself "Phoenix"."

"So, Phoenix is…?"

"Jean's unconscious mind," He stated bluntly, "Her base animal instincts."

"Oh, hell…" Kris whispered, exhaustedly. Kris knew enough about psychology to know what base instincts were like. Every whim followed, every desire chased, every want and need satisfied with no regard for _how _it is satisfied. Phoenix was a dangerous, angry, incredibly unpredictable animal, "We're screwed," She said, finally picking up the tea and taking a sip.

"That's certainly one way to put it," Professor Xavier said.

Kris sighed and unconsciously wiped at her nose with her free hand. She'd cleaned off the blood, but it still felt like it was there, "Ok, before Phoenix tried to get into my head, she said my powers where exceptional; that I was impressive. She wondered how you'd managed to keep me hidden." The look on his face clearly told Kris he'd been worried about that, "What did she mean?"

"Kris," Professor Xavier said, clearly trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say, "You understand the unofficial categorization of mutant powers, correct?"

"Yeah, one through five."

"Studies by my friend Moira MacTaggert indicate that only .73 percent of mutants can be classified as class five," Kris nodded. She knew that mutants as powerful as class five mutants couldn't be common, "Moira has also researched what she calls 'Omega-Level' mutants; mutants that have fulfilled their full power potential. Jean is a class five mutant and with the Phoenix released, she has to ability to become an Omega-Level, but it is dangerous for her and for anyone she comes across."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"You are currently at a power class four," Professor Xavier said, "and your powers _will_ continue to grow." Kris choked slightly on her tea, "Are you alright?"

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Kris said, "I'm sorry, repeat that…"

"You will eventually become a class five mutant,"

"Like Dr. Gray?" Kris said, "Does that mean that you're going to have to put up mental blocks in my head so I don't… _Have _you put anything up in my head?"

Professor Xavier shook his head, "No, Kris, I have not," He could tell that she was close to freaking out, "You will become a class five mutant and you could very well become an Omega-Level mutant. Your powers vary quite distinctly from Jean's. The majority of her powers lies, as I mentioned, in her unconscious brain. The vast majority of yours lies in your conscious brain. You will be able to control the full extent of your power without any protective measures from me."

Kris sat there for a moment in stunned silence before saying, "So… what you're saying is that someday I'm going to be an extremely powerful telepath and that Phoenix could sense that."

"Exactly."

"And there is no chance in hell of me becoming like… _that_?" She asked, knowing that he would know exactly what she was talking about.

Shaking his head, Professor Xavier said, "None at all. You will have control." Kris didn't know what to think. She'd only had her powers for a year… A little less, to be honest. The thought of being so powerful already and know that her powers would grow was terrifying. She'd already had enough power surges and power boosts in the past year to last her a lifetime and she wasn't looking forward to feeling that again. And, despite Professor Xavier's claims, she did not feel ready to control level five power.

"I… I can't… I can't be…" Kris stammered, "Professor, you have got to have this wrong. I can't be… a class five. I'm just…" She began hyperventilating. For the first time since her freshman year of high school, Kris felt utterly worthless. She couldn't fathom being that powerful and she just knew that she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Don't sell yourself short, Kris," Professor Xavier said, trying desperately to pull her back from what could be a detrimental break down. He'd wanted to tell her this at a better time, in a better way, "You will be able to…" Frantic banging on the door interrupted them, "What?" He asked sharply. This was a very bad time for interruptions.

The door opened, revealing Bobby, "What the hell?" He asked, looking to his panicking sister, "Kris? What's wrong?" He asked frantically as he ran to her, "Are you okay?" Bobby's presence calmed Kris slightly. He wrapped his arms around her from behind her chair and she gripped them with all she had to keep herself from crumbling. Professor Xavier knew what must have happened. When Kris began to lose control, Bobby had felt it. There was a deep bond in the Drake family, that much was clear. Even without Kris using her telepathy, Bobby had known something was wrong. Perhaps there was an unconscious channel between them. Professor Xavier would think on that later.

"Bobby, please take Kris back to her room so that she can rest," Professor Xavier said, "Kris, I promise you that you will be fine. Do not worry." Kris nodded, but he knew that she didn't believe him; she was just too exhausted to do anything else.

Bobby lifted Kris from her chair and practically carried her back to her room. She was no longer hyperventilating, but she was exhausted. He got her in her room and tucked her back into bed, "Kris, what happened?" He asked, smoothing her hair out of her face.

Kris took a shuttering breath, "It's nothing…"

"Don't lie to me," Bobby snapped quickly, but not angrily.

Sighing, Kris said, "Ac…According to Professor X… I'm going to be a class five mutant…" Bobby gaped, "With everything that's happened since I got my powers, all the new manifestations… I don't think I can be a class five…"

"Kris, if anybody could be class five, it's you." Bobby said, "You are the strongest person I know. I don't know what I would have done if I'd have had to go through these last few months without you." Kris smiled and Bobby leaned in to hug her, "I love you Kris."

"Love you too, Bobby." She replied, hugging him back.

"Hey, guys!" A voice said, causing the two to look up. Kitty stood in the doorway, a worried look on her face, "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Bobby asked.

"Professor X, Storm, and Logan are going off to find Dr. Gray," She said, "They just headed out and no one can find Alex. He and Professor X were arguing earlier, before you and Dr. Gray woke up, Kris. The last time anyone saw him was after she attacked you. They were looking for him to take him with them."

"Did they check down in Lorna's room?" Kris asked.

Kitty nodded, "Yeah. She's passed out asleep, but he's not there. He isn't in his room either. He's not anywhere. They think he took off." Kris sighed. She couldn't imagine Alex taking off without Lorna, "Bobby, they've left us and Pete in charge. We have to go watch the younger kids."

Sighing, Bobby nodded. He gave Kris one final kiss on the cheek, promised that he would be back up later to check on her, stood, and left. The second the door was closed behind him, Kris focused all of her energy to her telepathy, _Alex? Alex, can you hear me?_

_Loud and clear, kiddo_, Alex replied.

_What the hell are you doing? Where are you? Lorna needs you. You know how she gets when you're not there when she wakes up._

_I know, Kris, but I have to leave. Please watch over her for me until I get back._

_What the hell do I say to her? She thinks you're not real enough as it is, _Kris snapped.

_Kris, please, just make sure that she's okay and doesn't hurt herself or anyone else. I have to find Scott. Apparently in one moment of placidness, Jean said she –or Phoenix or whoever that was- killed him. If there is even the tiniest bit of Jean in there, she couldn't have done that. I am going to find my brother. If there is any hope of getting Jean back, it's him. Besides, he's my brother. I don't know if he's hurt or sick or what. I can't leave him and I couldn't bring her with me. It would be too dangerous for her and for other people._

Kris sighed. She understood, of course, _Fine… But don't take too long. There's only so much I can do to calm Lorna. I don't want to go too into her head. Given what happened to her, that might freak her out a little too much._

_Thank you, Kris. Please, just watch over her._

_I will do what I can_

_You're the best._

_Well, yeah…_ Kris said, with slight, and entirely fake, smugness in her voice, _Just be careful. Please._

_Of course. See you around, kid._

_Back at'cha._

With that, Kris severed the link between their minds. She had no idea what she was going to do with Lorna. If Alex wasn't around, Lorna became even more scared than she was. Scared, out of control, and backed into a corner. This was a time bomb waiting to explode.

(-X-)

_Kris watched in horror from the corner of an unfamiliar room as Phoenix lifted Professor Xavier from his wheelchair. She listened, unable to make a sound no matter how hard she tired, as Professor Xavier pleaded with Jean to remember control, remember herself, remember Scott. The mention of Jean's fiancé had an undesired affected. _

_Phoenix became incensed; anger radiated from her very being. She growled angry words, intelligible to Kris, at Professor X. As his flesh dissolved away, the Professor said, "Don't let it control you." He glanced over at the corner, eyes locked with Kris's, as Phoenix decimated him._

_Unable to form words, Kris screamed louder than she'd ever screamed before._

"Kris! KRIS!" Bobby's voice sounded as she was shaken awake. Kris breathed heavily as she acclimated herself to her surroundings. Bobby, Rogue, Kitty, Peter, and Illyana were all standing around her bed. Remembering her dream –and knowing that it was so much more than that- Kris broke down into tears, "Kris, what's wrong?" Bobby asked, pulling her into his arms.

"Professor Xavier is dead…" She managed to choke out. Gasps escaped from everyone around her, "Phoenix killed him." She added before completely breaking down against Bobby's chest. She hardly noticed the tears and cries from her friends.


End file.
